‘Confluence’ (Oil painting on board by Alan Rayner, 2021) Here combined are the local tangible elements of Earth (solid), Water (liquid) and Air (gas) formed from the intangible elements of Fire/light and Space/darkness, symbolized further by the two wings, two tail streamers and head and body of an arctic tern (which migrates annually between Arctic and Antarctic circles). We also see a transition from radial/spherical symmetry associated with stillness and bilateral symmetry associated with movement. Correspondingly, the imagery symbolizes the vitality of the mutually inclusive bodily and soulful/spiritual middle in bringing seemingly opposite but actually complementary viewpoints (as per left and right wings) into confluence.
All arises from and all returns to silence.
All dynamically includes and is included within silence.
There can be no sound without silence.
Silence is in the depth of our souls and the tread of our soles.
Calling all into flow-formation
The everlasting grace of infinite, receptive space,
