“Peering within ourselves to discover what is hidden is one of the most engaging and challenging endeavors of life.” – Seamus Berkeley

A portal within a portal. Mind, body and soul intertwined in ways we do not yet fully understand. Yet, who knows what insights we might discover when we take the time to look inward?

Known as The High King of Irish Monuments, The Rock of Cashel sets the scene for Seamus Berkeley’s revered, stone-inspired oil painting. Traveling in the footsteps of his ancestors, Seamus ventured out to this crumbling, yet somehow sturdy, Gothic cathedral perched upon an outcrop of limestone in the idyllic, lush countryside of Ireland’s Golden Vale.

Overcast skies steeped the decaying cathedral in shadows of grey. Roofless and windowless, nevertheless, the hardy stone walls and arching entryway withstood the test of centuries, stabilizing an awe-inspiring, epic facade that caught Seamus’ eye.

“At one point, while wandering outside the ruins, a particular view appeared of the foreground archway framing the distant one,” Seamus recounts, taking him back to the drama of The Rock of Cashel. “Through that distant, open portal there seemed to be a mysterious figure barely visible in the haze. Looking through these portals into the unknown inspired the final piece.”

Inward is the epitome of Artful Awareness. This perspective of portals invites viewers to contemplate that within each one of us there is the unknown, a mystery. Peering within ourselves to discover what is hidden is one of the most engaging and challenging endeavors of life.

What does looking inward evoke within you?

Inward, original oil on canvas, 48″ x 36″

Original paintings and prints by Seamus Berkeley.

wonder

Inward

Full Moon over Mountain Taos I

Figures: Wondering, Pingyao