"Four Worlds" is accepted into MATRIARCHS and MADONNAS

I am pleased to announce that my piece, "Four Worlds" was accepted as part of the Women's Caucus for Art Florida SE Regional Show, juried by Patricia Rodriguez.

MATRIARCHS and MADONNAS is on exhibit now through January 25 at the Osceola Center for the Arts, 2411 E. Irlo Bronson Highway, Kissimmee, Florida 34744. The center hours are Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm, and Saturday from 9am to 12noon.

This exhibit, produced and sponsored by the Women's Caucus for Art Florida, explores the work of women in society and their impact upon family, faith and culture, and explores the dignity, endurance, and perseverance of women.


"Four Worlds"

According to Kabbalah, we live in four worlds simultaneously: the physical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual. The four "panels" in this piece represent these four worlds. In the rightmost panel, which represents Azilut, the spiritual realm, is the kabbalistic tree of life (Etz Chaim) -- the architecture or blueprint for Creation, which depicts the aspects of the Divine in their most esoteric forms. Its lush leaves remind us of the garden of Eden, where life began and Creation was fully realized. The next panel to the left -- representing Briah, the mental realm -- incorporates the Shema, Judaism's declaration of faith. This is what Jews believe: that the Divine, which Always Was and Always Will Be, is Present Now. The Divine is One.
All we need to do to find Shekhina -- the feminine aspect of the Divine, the Indwelling Presence -- is to go within. We are part of that Divine Oneness, and as women we understand that everything is connected. Next is Yetzirah, the emotional realm. In this realm, we exhibit all the aspects of the Divine, flowing from one to the next. We express these ideals through our actions, which are informed by our emotions; at ouor best, we live in balance among these ideals. the leftmost panel, which represents Assiyah, the physical realm, explores the idea that we are made in the image of the Divine. Here, every woman embodies Shekhina.