Mindstream Series
Monica's contemplative practice extends into a new series of visual meditations. These paintings differ from her ensō paintings in that they are very much about feelings as opposed to the "direct experience" of sūnyatā or emptiness meditation and wordless experience with “bare attention” through vipassana or insight meditation. Paths of thought conceptualized as winding tendrils weave together to form a visual field of the unconscious as felt experience and connection to the world around her. The lines vibrate and meander into and next to each other and overlap to accentuate the space underneath until it may be completely obscured.
Artist statement
These paintings are similar to painting a Zen circle, except instead of a single breath, they are a whole pattern of living. Ensō paintings serve as signposts, the Mindstream paintings are the path. They also hold a place of safety. As I become friends with the process of getting to know myself, I become a friend to myself. I can relax with the exploration, remaining curious and open to new ideas and insight. It’s a gentler way of getting to the heart of something.
With a brush in hand and a color palate that allows me to see what I feel; I can rest in peaceful wonder and slow down the complexity of lived experience. This is a process of stepping back to observe without shutting down. There is a settling into the mindstream as a witness without being swept away. Creating these paintings is a methodical, hypnotic process similar to brief moments during long periods of zazen when experiencing the inside amidst a moving outside world.
Artist statement
These paintings are similar to painting a Zen circle, except instead of a single breath, they are a whole pattern of living. Ensō paintings serve as signposts, the Mindstream paintings are the path. They also hold a place of safety. As I become friends with the process of getting to know myself, I become a friend to myself. I can relax with the exploration, remaining curious and open to new ideas and insight. It’s a gentler way of getting to the heart of something.
With a brush in hand and a color palate that allows me to see what I feel; I can rest in peaceful wonder and slow down the complexity of lived experience. This is a process of stepping back to observe without shutting down. There is a settling into the mindstream as a witness without being swept away. Creating these paintings is a methodical, hypnotic process similar to brief moments during long periods of zazen when experiencing the inside amidst a moving outside world.