Revival- Waterlily Oil painting

Title:         Revival

Size:         50x50cm 2cm deep

Medium:  Oil on cradled wood panel

About this painting: Indulge in the richness that Revival brings as it captures the essence of nature's beauty. The jewel tones of this oil painting will elevate any room with its warm, evocative colours and serene imagery of a single soft peach waterlily drifting amongst the lily pads in deep blue waters. Enhance your space with positivity and elegance with this tranquil piece of art.

The waterlily has been the perfect flower to reflect my thinking & feelings at this moment in my life. It has deep meaning in many mythologies & cultures, symbolising rebirth, hope & celebration. rising up from the depths to the sunlight, dying & reviving, closing its petals & opening every morning. the waterlily symbolises the opportunity to reinvent & replenish.

It's creation has centred around my thoughts of what it means to be a woman at a time when everything in life suddenly changes. I was warned by many friends that my son leaving for University would be a time of grief & mourning after dedicating 18 years identifying as ‘Mother’.

So, yes, I feel the empty space in my heart & my home. But it is my choice how I choose to take that.

Realising very quickly that my son is still constantly in my life, calling me, FaceTiming, popping home or asking me to come & explore his new home has filled me with joy.

Every woman who is a Mother shares the understanding that you give so much of yourself to bringing up a happy & well balanced child. Giving all your time & love to the life you created. It is easy to lose part of your identity.

So, this time when I let & encourage my child to spread his wings & fly into a wonderful future is also an incredible opportunity to revive, recreate, reinvent myself & who I am now, as a woman.

What an incredible gift to have the space to rediscover myself with my boy cheering me on, delighted that I am doing things I love.

So the waterlily, rising up from the depths is a powerful symbol of enlightenment & opportunity. To me, it is a time to reconnect to my femininity, to embrace the wisdom of my age, to forge an exciting & fulfilling life. My child may have flown the nest, but has not left me. Our relationship ever stronger in understanding what we mean to each other.

While he explores his future, I too welcome such thrilling time to reshape my life. I have time to dive deep into my creativity, to take silent moments to contemplate & find well being. A chance to ignite my career with a new focussed flame. A time to appreciate & grow into myself in my role as woman as well as Mother.

I can’t grieve as I haven’t lost anything, I can’t mourn as my bond with my son is as strong as ever. I choose to find joy to make this an incredible time for us both. Ot's time for Revival