Entering the Province of Heaven, 2005
Acrylic, oil, wood on canvas
82 x 82 in.
I saw this picture of the now retired tennis pro, James Blake and it captivated me.
He flew out of the air like Batman to overhead the ball that seemed to be caught in stillness. And being from Chicago, it also reminded me of Michael Jordan and how he used his will to manifest his physical reality.
I created this painting as a representation of how I see myself as a player (of life).
The pole down the middle is my version of ‘God’ or ‘Truth’. There are many colors in this Godstick representing the variations in the universe, but it is a line which can divide.
Either you are in your truth, or you are not. Either you will surrender to the overhead or buckle in fear. To make the shot, which is on the other side of the Godstick, James Blake must overlook the walls of fear presented before him.
Man and Woman are also divided by the Godstick but they lay together on the same plane. This painting is ultimately about where we decide to focus on our divisions. We are two genders but one 'Being'.
As athletes of Life, when we decide to relax and let the flow find us, we can execute our plays effortlessly.
And for some, including myself, this flow state is considered a form Heaven.