Light of Heaven

Paintings which reflect a Near Death Experience

Million of people have had Near Death Expertiernces, called NDE".  The most authoritative account comes from Dr. Eben Alexander whose extreme case cannot be disputed by material science.  My experience was very small by comparison.   It happened to me as a child and was caused by anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction to penicillin.  Over the years of growing up, it was lost in childhood forgetfulness.  After finishing art school, I spent three years working on paintings to express some sort of ineffable feeling of beauty in my heart, when suddenly  the memory resurfaced.    My mother later confirmed the circumstances of the event.  

Basically, during the NDE I was told it was not my time yet to die and that I had some lessons to learn on 'earth.  I was told that if I got through  my lessons quickly, I could play with the rest of the time I had on earth.  But I forgot all of that as I grew up.

When I got out of art school I was in a very bleak state of mind, making dark and unhappy pictures.  One day a studio neighbor, Ted Schnorr, gave me some new materials to play with.    Rather then make (ART),   I simply played with color.  I made a few of these playful pictures and, as was my habit at the time, hung them up on a display wall to contemplate.  The dark pictures were hanging there too and I had a small epiphany: everyone knows enough about despair.   I need not add to it with my paintings.  Instead, I will only put beauty out into the world.

And that's what I have been doing.