The Dreamscapes of S.C.Vincent
(England)
Tel: 07826 182430
I am a Yorkshire born painter and writer, now living among the manicured fields of Buckinghamshire, England. I paint in most traditional mediums and have been known to paint anything from an 80 foot mural in housepaint to a birthday cake in food colourings!
Much of my work is a response to the images that arise during meditation or the scenes that surface through dreams. Sometimes a poem will inspire a painting, or, in the case of Door of Dreams (right) the painting will create the poem.
Door of Dreams was a commission for the president of a chemical engineering corporation in the US. I was given a basic brief, but the worlds through each doorway were my own intuitive reading of the man.
Starways was another commission for the US, painted at the request of a mother for her little daughter. A painting to grow with her.
As the pathway crosses the threshold of the sphere, the stars become flowers , symbolising a change in the state of Being.The path of stars leads into the Sphere, where Sphere within Sphere unfolds, mirroring each other in altered states. Four in all. The Path leads over hills and through unseen valleys to the stronghold of the castle bathed in golden light.
Beyond the castle a vague landscape and a pool are glimpsed and clouds hang in the sky.
The "beautiful fairy", clothed in white, reflecting all the colours around her, herself holds a Sphere in her hand. She stands in the shelter of a leafless Tree, rooted in Earth, upon which hangs a single, rosy apple.
Hidden within the mists are creatures, symbols and figures, half glimpsed and indistinct. Some are soft and gentle, some the half glimpsed horrors of nightmare.
Many will remain unseen for a time, and much may be found by journeying into the image in imagination.
The stars now take on depth and many are vague, covered by clouds, in the same way that life itself hides one's true Path behind the neccessities of daily survival.
As the star-path nears the central sphere, the way becomes smoother and clearer, less clouded.
With the inclusion of each image and symbol, I have tried to trace a journey through dream, through life, towards the awakening of understanding.
I love colour, and struggled for years to try and paint in 'realistic' colours.. only to realise that I had been painting my emotions into the colours all along! Sometimes, however, I work in black and white. This is particularly the case for illustrations, like the Stones (left) which recognises the life in the ancient places, or Living Wood (below).
There is always a hidden element to my work, beyond the immediately obvious. Even my landscapes contain things that may not neccessarily meet the eye at first glance.
In The Islet (below) I painted a simple landscape, yet look closer and the island in question may suddenly become the head and shoulders of a crocodile.. the stones its teeth, the snout pointing upstream.
There is all the symbolism of the old Crocodile God of Egypt, Sobek. Of the Water. Is he swallowing the waters, or do they come from him.. or is he simply in his natural element?
The landscape is lush and European, yet the mountains recall the pyramids. In all this painting shows the continuity and evolution of faith and the way it adapts and changes as it is diseminated.
I have followed the teachings of the Western Mystery Tradition most of my life, and its effects on my paintings are sometimes as obvious as they are in my daily life.
The symbolism comes in layers and I often learn much from the painting of these pictures. I also learn much from other people. When asked, 'What does it mean?' I usually ask, 'what does it say to you?' For reality and perception are personal and unique and it is always a privilege to be allowed to glimpse the inner heart and mind of another human being.
"Echoes of Light, Painting with Words" is a new collection of poems and articles, illustrated with monochrome reproductions of my work and can be purchased via my website.
Door of Dreams
Would you walk the corridor of dreams,
Into the dark and unknown inner places,
Where silent voices whisper your desires
From unkissed lips upon amorphous faces?
Dare you cross the Temple chequerboard,
Where black and white in alternating tread
Reflect the hope and terror of the night,
To face imaginations deepest dread?
Could you face each inner world you find,
Knowing that they are a true reflection
That show the turmoil of the conscious mind
Destroying your illusion of perfection?
Can you face the demons hidden there,
Where every rock and tree and fragrant flower,
May hold the cryptic kernel of your fears
Reverberating with emotive power?
Look deep into the mirror of your dreams
To see reflected ancient joys and sorrow,
Begin to read the soul that journeys there
And face today and walk toward tomorrow.
Winner of the David Burland Poetry Award 2008
