Art Spotlight: 'Enlightenment'

'Enlightenment' by Cristin McAllister

This piece expresses the concept of spiritual growth and maturity.

            The central figure, the lotus plant, begins life at the dark, muddy bottom of a pond, growing up toward the surface to eventually break into the light and blossom into a beautiful, fragrant flower. According to Buddhist lore, this process reflects the soul's journey from the darkness of ignorance and materialism, through experience and learning, into the uplifting radiance of enlightenment.

            The thorny brambles tangled at the bottom represent confusion and the struggles of mundane life.  The winged heart represents the ability to rise above such tribulations and achieve serenity.

            The sun is emblazoned with a swastika (from the Sanskrit svastika, meaning “auspicious sign”)  – a symbol of the sun, of radiant life energy and blessing.  This very ancient symbol has been held sacred by cultures across the globe since the very beginning of human art. 

            Beams of sunlight with hands on the ends radiate from the sun’s disk, a depiction of the ancient Egyptian sun god Aten.  The hands offer ankh symbols, which represent the Life Force. Stars dot the heavens, images of light in the darkness.

            The butterfly begins life as a lowly caterpillar, wraps itself in a jewel-like chrysalis and eventually emerges as a delicate, colorful, soaring adult. Thus it has come to represent transformation, spiritual growth and rebirth among many cultures around the world.

 14” x 14” Variable Edition serigraphs of this design are now available on my Etsy shop.

“Variable Edition” means that each print of this design is unique, featuring hand-painted backgrounds with color and texture variations. 

Click to browse available selection of prints.