Gratitude, acrylic on canvas, 63 by 56 in. Emilia Kallock, 2018

I drew inspiration for this piece from Gauguin’s “Jacob Wrestling With The Angel” 1888. Overall, it is an image to serve as a meditation guide beginning with an element of gratitude.  Gratitude for trees, flowers, love, the Divine Feminine, the Divine Masculine, dancing, fish (salmon), birds and totem animals (seen behind the human figures).  Gauguin stated: “Don’t copy nature too much.  Art is an abstraction; derive this abstraction from nature while dreaming before it, and think more of the creation which will result (than of the model). This is the only way of mounting toward God – doing as our Divine Master does, create.”

Jacob Wresting With The Angel, 28 by 36 in. oil on canvas, Paul Gauguin, 1888