Paintings have a magical way of connecting to their future owners on their own.
It’s not that unlike falling in love at first sight. Something deep in your gut responds to a certain color scheme or composition behind an abstract painting.
That spark lights a fire under your belly, and the painting is yours.
Today, I’d like to share the story behind a recent abstract painting that went to its forever home in a massage studio.
“Self is a Boundless Sea” is a 24×36 abstract acrylic painting that celebrates the feeling you get when you stop making yourself small and allow yourself to take up space and to be your true, boundless Self.
For me, the feeling evoked when I look at this painting is love in all its colors. Love for myself. For others. For my creative life.
This abstract painting celebrates love of the infinite, swirling, ever-moving energy in this universe that I am a part of and is a part of me.
This piece is especially dear to me and was one of my first big pieces.
I painted it the week of my 30th birthday, in an act of effortless, joyful creation.
Recently divorced, I was working out of my tiny but just-right sunroom in my Bachelor Girl Pad. I had recently realized I had fallen in love with my partner Adam and was opening my heart more than I ever had before to another.
I felt like I was swimming in a sea of love, and it stemmed from being my authentic self around others who affirmed that infinite treasure in me.
That this abstract painting called out to massage therapist Megan Rowell is no surprise to me.
Megan is a healer, bodywork therapist, and light-worker who has held space for me during my hardest moments of 2018.
I can’t think of a better owner for this painting, since the work she does is rooted in honoring the Self, tending to our bodies in this ever-changing life, and celebrating those deeper parts in us that intuitively know what we need.
I’m overjoyed that “Self is a Boundless Sea” made its way to Megan’s studio, and I can’t wait to look at it the next time I’m getting a massage with her.
This week I sat down with Megan to learn more about her calling to be a healer and how my abstract paintings helps her with her work.
I love the magical connection between the painting and its bad-ass owner and am excited to share this with you. Read on below!
C: Tell me about your massage business. How did you realize this was your calling?
M: I went to massage therapy school because I didn’t know what was next. I thought I’d enjoy the personal connection to others and physicality of the work. As a college drop out, it was a practical decision. This year marks six years of having a private massage therapy practice and I have no doubt that this is exactly the work that I want to be doing.
Offering bodywork suits my strengths in a way that leaves me satisfied and grateful. I love the careful listening. I love the way I get to pair skill, intuition and curiosity. And I love that I get to work in a language beyond words, the communication that happens through touch, stillness and simply being present to others in their pain.
C: For readers who haven’t been to your massage studio, can you paint a picture of what the interior looks like? What does the space look like? Describe it in as much sensory detail as possible.
Megan: My studio feels like a grounding, calming space. I love working here and being here.
When I describe it to new folks, I say it’s the sweet green bungalow on Broad, the one with the porch swing.
Inside there are tall ceilings, beautiful crown molding and floors that creak just right.
The table is warm when the weather invites it to be. I ground myself with my ritual of warming my oil and hands before beginning my work.
I have enough natural light to keep a couple of plants alive.
Every single time I walk into my studio, I think to myself, “I am so damn grateful that I get to work here.”
C: Which abstract paintings of mine have you displayed in your space? What about those paintings drew you in?
M: In recent months, my studio has also hosted some new paintings by you!
Like the plants, these paintings feel alive. Depending on the light or my mood, they appear different to me.
I am currently hosting 25 of your pieces, which are on display in my massage studio and also available for purchase for my clients.
I’ve already bought two of your pieces, since your work speaks to me every day when I’m working!
The first one was one of your minis that I fell in love with at your Nido Show. It had swirls and sparkles that appeal to that little flicker of whimsy I occasionally indulge in.
But the one that has spoken to me in a deep way is “Self Is A Boundless Sea”. I wanted to purchase it before I even new the name, but the decision felt even more right after hearing how she came to be.
I hung this piece right behind where clients sit when we are talking before and after a session. When I look at it, I feel spaciousness and hope. Though I try not to make it into an image, sometimes I see a radiant pregnant body flickering in the gold.
C: What do you want your clients to feel when they are in your space? How does my artwork help achieve this feeling for your clients?
M: I had a new client a couple of weeks ago who said she felt like she should take her shoes off when she entered my office. To me, it meant that it felt like a home. This is my hope: that when folks enter, they feel the ease and warmth of home.
Having your paintings certainly adds to the space feeling welcoming and intentional. I think it would be enough to make the space very comfortable but why not make it so very beautiful too?
When people talk about “Self is a Boundless Sea,” they remark how it feels galactic. I thinks that’s what these works evoke–a sense of wonder and openness and mystery. Much like how healing the body seems to me.
Every time I take a moment to reflect on how your artwork fits in the space, I’m reminded of how right they are and how grateful I am to host them.
C: What have some of your clients said about my paintings that you’ve displayed in your space? Which is their favorite?
M: My clients noticed the paintings right away! I walked back into the room after a client was getting settled on the table and she was resting on the side of her face just marveling at the painting beside her.
“Self is A Boundless Sea” is the one folks notice and comment on most, but occasionally someone will look through the door to the smaller office where I write notes and see the other larger painting, “You Are Enough.”
This abstract painting has a lot of pink and feels cheerful. I appreciate having such a happy piece where I do the less enticing aspects of my work, like write emails or work on spreadsheets.
C: Anything else you’d like to add about your studio space, my artwork, or working together?
M:I’m super grateful for connecting with each other through our women’s entrepreneur group WE Collective. I have met so many brilliant women in this community, who continue to support and inspire me.
Getting to collaborate with you has been exciting. I love the way you approach your business: with such heart, vulnerability and moving storytelling. You’ve inspired me to do my work with even more intuition and creativity.
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