Art as a Spiritual Practice

My studio wall with sketches for some of the compositions. The Elements are on the vertical axis and the Eightfold Path is on the horizontal axis. You can see the palette is different for each of the elements.

In 2012 I began a series of paintings based on Tarot Cards. During that exploration, I learned about how the four suits of a tarot deck correspond to the four elements of Greek philosophy. The four elements, (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) are symbolically connected to four aspects of the self; the physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional.

I’ve returned to this framework in a new series. When I created the Tarot Series, I developed a palette of colors, shapes and marks that correspond with each of the four elements. In this new series, I’m applying the visual language and conceptual framework of the four elements, to Buddhism’s Eightfold Path. For folks who are unfamiliar, the Eightfold Path consists of eight practices for living. It is sometimes compared to the Ten Commandments, but the goal is enlightenment rather than setting norms for a civil society. (I find it helpful to consider the values and goals of any framework.)

A detail of the intersection between “Right Samadhi” (meditation, absorption or union ~ correct concentration, single mindedness) with the element of Fire = Intellect.

(This is just a sketch and may not be the final composition.)

While I enjoy reading about Buddhism, and I have a meditation practice, I don’t consider myself a Buddhist. I’m interested in psychological and spiritual frameworks. There is so much overlap between systems, and yet they don’t map perfectly onto one another. Each framework has a set of values it projects onto the person and onto the world. Brené Brown’s Ten Guideposts for Wholehearted Living, Carl Jung’s model of the self, the Enneagram Personality framework, Hogwarts House system and the DSM-5, each offer tools for contextualizing our lives.

I chose to work with the Eightfold Path because I want to spend time reflecting on each of the components. By projecting the four elements onto this framework I can consider how each element intersects with each of the practices. For instance, what would it look like when emotions come into play with the precept of “Right Conduct”; or the physical ramifications of “Right Livelihood”.

Each intersection in the series will correspond to a different composition. The artworks will be acrylic paint on paper which will then be collaged onto a board. There will be 32 compositions in the complete series.

When I work in this way, making art becomes a spiritual practice. It gives me a process for investigating ideas that is not primarily language-based (reading, writing, conversation). Instead I make marks, cut and arrange shapes, and choose colors, in an attempt to depict my understanding of the ideas.