Ivon Hitchens’ Flowers In A Vase
Welcome to this mindful Looking Practice with the painting Flowers in a Vase by Ivon Hitchens.
Starting by taking a slightly deeper breath than usual and letting go of having to get anywhere special in the next few minutes.
Just making time and space for everyday experience. Feeling your feet on the floor and the temperature of the air on your face or the backs of your hands, and noticing the painting in front of you. What colours come to towards you as you allow your gaze to rest gently on the whole image. Maybe the warmer yellows and red brands, or the cooler yellows, purples and light blue within the glass bars.
Maybe noticing more subtle colours in the gray areas of the painting. Noticing what feelings are present for you in this moment without having to change them. Maybe you have a name or colour for them, and remembering there’s no right or wrong way to feel as we look.
What lines can you see in the painting? The water line in the vase, stems curling out to the top right, the vertical lines of the floorboards, the diagonal line at the edge of the vase and the surface it rests on. Shift your focus for one or two breaths to noticing what is supporting you as you look.
Aware of your head, resting on the top of your spine, maybe inviting any muscles that can to ease up just a little. Now, noticing shapes the three star shaped flowers in the opening of the vase. The gray shapes hovering above the curved branch. What other flower shapes can you see noticing what thoughts might be floating through your mind? Thoughts about the painting, thoughts about the past, or what you’re going to do next?
What’s it like to gently let them go and come back for a last look at the painting as we bring this practice to a close.
