This painting was inspired by the teaching of Pastor Sheryl. It is titled, “While Planets Align”. There are many things going on so I thought a bit of explanation may be necessary. At the top of the painting the sky has burst open to reveal that the planets are in alignment. This can be a literal event or a coming together of elements in your life… things you have prayed for or meditated upon.
 
Many ancient cultures were “sky watchers”. They watched the sun, the moon and the stars. They saw the rhythms and the paths that seemed to move across the sky. Just as the cycles of the moon effect the tides, so in a broader scale, the planets and the stars have similar effects on us and on the planet.
 
At the base of the painting is a sarcophagus. This is a symbol of passing through death to the next life. This too can be literal and spiritual. Christ taught, by example, that we die to live. We die to our will, our wants, our flesh and a whole new spiritual world opens up to us. Our eyes are opened to the Oneness of things and we see that all our actions have an effect on everything around us. One act of Love (as when Christ gave his life) can release such so much positive energy that a whole new era is born. Christians call this reaping and sowing, what you put out there is what you get back. Buddhists call it karma. Some call it the Law of Attraction.
 
Passing through this death corridor our eyes are opened and we ascend heavenward. The pyramid is frequently a symbol of wisdom, as it is here in this painting. We have a new knowledge or a new perspective of the greater whole. We let go of our will, our “self”, and align with Gods will or the rhythms of the universe.
 
Barry Donaldson
The Art of Firescribe
www.Firescribe.com

Studies have shown that when one is able to visually receive information that they are more likely to remember, and I would say personally – be able to understand and relate to the information given. In today’s media visual stimulation runs rampant and is completely part of our world. It is integrated into our lifestyles, our comings and goings, our homes and almost anywhere we spend our time these days. Unless we have the blessing of living alone in a forest or on an island, it is almost inescapable. It is able to trigger our minds into action the moment we “lay eyes on it” – whether it be stationary symbols, TV ads or a piece of art shown during a scene in a movie. This is one powerful tool to wield. And sadly, it is one so often used to numb the mind through means that bring us to a point of hypnotism… that we are no longer operating through our inner voice, but by what another voice is telling us through what we see.

One of the key things I have been taught by Pastor Sheryl is it isn’t enough to just ignore all the infiltrations that are going on around us, but to use the gifts we have been given to turn the tables. Instead of continuing in a state of slumber, we apply our own abilities of visual creation to awaken those around us, to remove the veils and help them to see. This is alchemy – this is using the same methods that have lolled the masses into a state of slumber, and instead, into that of an awakening that opens their eyes to truths, both simple and staggering.

Here is one short film that was born from what I have learned from Pastor Sheryl. It is about seeing that love of God can encompass and come from many peoples of different faiths and cultures. It is about seeing beyond yourself and what you have always been taught and seeing through the eyes of another. This was an awakening that changed my life so dramatically. It taught me that my ways are not the only ways and that I can look into the eyes of another and see God there, see His love.

Video by Rachael Gunderson
Eternal Vision Videos

One of the ways the Oneness Foundation in Blaine, WA encourages spiritual expression is through the Arts. I am a painter and came to know Pastor Sheryl Walker in 2001 when I was visiting from Los Angeles. It was a spiritual community like I had never known, even though I had been searching for years. Pastor Sheryl encouraged me to express what was in my heart through painting. I had always been an artist and had been a painter and filmmaker since I was 12 years old, but this was different. I soon realized that when I boldly allowed the depth of my soul to come out on canvas and share it with others they could “see” with a spiritual insight that they had not experienced before. It was humbling and a huge blessing to witness people cry, or simply stand and stare at a painting as thy saw something in a new way. It was not the art itself; the art is just the vehicle for expression. It was a leap of faith with a brush put to canvas, that allowed my spirit to grow. When I shared these expressions others could grab on to them and use that energy as a catalyst in their own spiritual journey.

Some paintings were literal teachings from Pastor Sheryl and some were my interpretations and experiences having been taught to use faith, positive energy and alchemy to bring something spiritual into the physical world. If I “saw” it, I figured that others may want to “see” it too. Artisans have been doing that since the dawn of man, but it was my intent to take it deeper by letting go of ego and simply becoming a vessel for spiritual growth. It is what Christ, Gautama Buddha, Sufi mystics, and many others taught. It is not new, but seems to be frequently passed by in today’s fast paced and plugged-in world.

The Oneness Foundation as a group has reached out to the community on several occasions using the visual arts. We have painted two local restaurants, the Curry House (Ferndale) and Pho Li (Bellingham), and I have been a part of a small mural painting team to add to the décor. This seemed to be as beneficial to the volunteers as it was to the owners. When you give of yourself in love, what you get back far outweighs the energy you exerted in the giving. That is something Pastor Sheryl has instilled in us. Love is our greatest weapon and its frequency will override negative energy every time.

The Oneness Foundation opened Eva’s Eden cat rescue in the basement of its spiritual center in Blaine, and a team of us painted a large 80 ft. long mural and built a giant tree for the cats to play in. This too was a labor of love and now the community and the cats seem to all enjoy what has been done there. It is an enchanting and whimsical place where little felines find the families that they deserve.

I hope you have had the opportunity to visit Eva’s Eden or one of the restaurants and see for yourself how the visual arts can put color into your world.

Blessings on your journey
Barry Donaldson
The Art of Firescribe
www.firescribe.com