VINCENT VAN GOGH’S SUNFLOWERS
Maggie H is a Global Explorer and Wellness Advocate from Hong Kong. Among many spiritual endeavors, Maggie practices and leads Qigong meditation to help people around the world find their inner balance. Find out more about this and other Eastern Philosophy & Meditation practices every Monday on the ICBRKR blog.
I still remember the second when I stood in front of the Sunflowers masterpiece very vividly. It was an otherworldly experience as I was instantly captivated by the painting, in general, and its energy, in particular. As I stood there, feeling all kinds of mixed emotions dancing inside me, I could imagine the burning yellow sunflower petals and twisted stems in the vase right in front of me. That was my first encounter with the Sunflowers art series by Vincent van Gogh.
It is one of the most well-known paintings in human history and is easily available anywhere and everywhere in the world, be it printed on mug cups, plates, tee shirts and bags or embossed on the walls of cheap roadside cafes. Perhaps, its excessive usage, just like the use of a generous amount of MSG on cheap Asian dishes, must've made me forget the reason behind why it became so popular in the first place.
Although I first encountered the artwork a couple of decades ago at the Van Gogh Museum at Amsterdam, still to this day, the same euphoric feelings return every time I think about the painting.
Years later, when I started practicing Qigong and became more aware of energy, I finally understood the relevance of the artwork. The intensity I felt was the energy that van Gogh was emanating through the painting. The art series encapsulates the perfect combination of the particular shades of yellow he chose, his unique style of brush strokes, and the emotions he must've felt while painting the series.
An interesting element about Sunflowers, which van Gogh surely had never intended to incorporate into this painting, is the fact that it is one of the popular Feng Shui items in Asia. The colour yellow represents the direction of the West and gold, which symbolises money. Numerous pictures and paintings of sunflowers, including van Gogh's Sunflowers, are placed in the Western direction of the offices, stores, or homes, thereby indicating the inhabitants' or employees' wishes to bring forth an influx of the energy of financial gain. If you happen to have a copy of Sunflowers, then feel free to place it on your western wall and observe whether you are able to manifest financial gain and security.
I enjoy frequently visiting art exhibitions. While making a round of the exhibition halls, I enjoy observing the places in which people tend to gather. Interestingly, whichever artworks attract more people usually have more layers of philosophy and depth, and it is generally apparent that more energy and time have gone into the creation of these specific paintings. These paintings also have higher price tags and usually get sold out early.
All timeless works of art capture their creators’ energies. This is the reason behind why I always remind my artist students and clients to grind their hearts and souls into their works, no matter how insignificant it may seem at a specific point in time.
The outcome may not be exactly what they had anticipated at first; however, gradually, people who hold the decision-making power can recognise the level of completion one day when it's the right time.
Always give your 100 per cent at everything you do, believing your life to be a masterpiece. Only then will the energy move people's hearts and eventually touch the heavens.