A Look At The Special Books Behind My Drishti Paintings

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I would like to take this opportunity to mention the books that I read in support of my own healing journey and for guidance and inspiration in creating the Drishti Paintings.

Something truly special about this exhibit–that I've never experienced before–is the opportunity to show some of what goes on behind the scenes in these amazing glass cases that Emilia Douglas Gallery provided. 

I think that this is a really cool add-on to the exhibit because you can look at the paintings, then you get to see these behind the scenes details, such as tools, books and notes that went into creating the show.

I am surrounded by people who love and support me (12” x 16” x 2”), Mixed media on wood panel, framed by Deb Chaney. Please Email the artist info@debchaney.com to purchase original. Prints available

If you’ve been following my posts, you may recall that I went to an artist talk last year that made a strong impact on me. The artist said that when you see a painting, it's really just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many decisions and moments and ideas and layers that go into the final artwork. It's the same with research and there is so much that went into this series. It’s such a wonderful feeling and opportunity that I get to share this with you and viewers at the exhibit. 

In one of the glass cases at the exhibit, I have added a selection of books that I feel were foundational and instrumental in my understanding of well-being. These featured books, and many more I did not exhibit at the gallery, guided me on my quest to understand how to consciously create my own well-being.

Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom

The first book is one that was given to me by my first mentor when I was 18. It’s called Women's Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Dr. Christiane Northrup, and when I first received it I was surprised by how big it was. But I just started reading it and it was revolutionary for me at the time.

This was in the early 2000s and, looking back, I think the key thing I got out of that book was realizing the connection between the connection between the mind and the body. What I thought or felt could be the root cause of something occuring in my body and if I were to change that thought–it would support my body’s healing.

Books by Caroline Myss

I then moved on to reading quite a lot of work by Dr. Caroline Myss, such as Anatomy of the Spirit, which is included in the glass case. A book that’s not on display, which I highly recommend, is her book Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can. It is essential reading for anyone in search of their own well-being.

The book explained how everything is energy and that it’s all stored in the body–in your etheric system and chakras. When you have experiences, if you don't heal or clear them, they're either supporting or hindering you in some way. And your body keeps a record, like it’s this big energetic bank account. However, you have sovereignty over this account, which means the more conscious you become of this energy system, the more you can develop and consciously become well.

Dr. Carolyn Myss is such an important contributor to the world of energy medicine. She's really an incredible author and guide for people, so I highly recommend her work.

The Code to Joy

The next book is from a course I was taking, and it's The Code to Joy by Dr. George Pratt. The book planted the seed for my decision to paint 7 paintings.

This book is about learning how to reprogram yourself for well-being. The author says that through his studies and observations, he recognizes that people who are unwell typically possess certain belief patterns or thinking patterns. They share an outlook pertaining to wellness, which he followed with a list of common proclamations. Things like “I don't feel safe in the world” or “I'm not worthy” or “I can't do this”. These were the exact opposite of the powerful positive affirmations that you see in my exhibit.

I was reading his lists of thought patterns and thought–Oh, my God!–if you flip them around, they’re directly related to the energy centres. If you embrace and create a belief system that’s the opposite of this negative outlook, it’s a path to well-being.

With this in mind, I went online and quickly learned that this is nothing new and a commonly held belief among healers. But to me it was revolutionary! This is why and how the decision for 7 paintings, 7 affirmations, and 7 colours focused on 7 chakras came about.

Books by Anodea Judith

There are 2 books by Anodea Judith, Eastern Body, Western Mind and Wheels of Life, that offer everything you could possibly want to know about your chakras. They served as a guideline for each chakra as I planned each painting. (They were also a bit of a rabbit hole that I had to force myself to put aside and do some painting!)

The Flower of Life

The last books included in the display at my exhibit are the 2 volumes of The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life by Drunvalo Melchizedek. If you’ve been following my blog posts or getting my newsletter, you know that these books have been a great influence on this series. 

These volumes not only prompted me to choose the Fibonacci sequence as the composition for these paintings, but helped me understand the power and the meaning of this sacred geometry symbol, the flower of life.

Once you go through your own healing journey, you get to a place where you feel okay. You’ve embodied these affirmations, you have good health, and you feel good in the world. When you reach this place, you’re open to the next thing. You’re asking “What’s next?” And I feel like these books are answering this question of what else is out there. And while that’s beyond the scope of this series, these books were instrumental in my getting to know and appreciate sacred geometry.

I hope that you find some inspiration and joy and value in the books I’ve read to support me in creating this series about my well-being.

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The Drishti Experience – Capturing the Frequency of My Well-Being

Deb Chaney, Solo Exhibit, Amelia Douglas Gallery

November 7, 2025 – January 9, 2025

Seven large scale mixed media abstract paintings by Deb Chaney. Her latest work is inspired by her desire to experience and visually express the frequency of her well-being. This series sheds light on the link between healing mental illness and developing spiritual consciousness.

Location

Amelia Douglas Gallery
Fourth Floor North, Douglas College
700 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC V3M 5Z5

Gallery Hours
Monday–Friday: 10:00 AM–7:30 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Gallery Website

A Drishti Painting Focus: I Am Powerful

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I Am Powerful by Deb Chaney (4’ x 5’ x 1.5” mixed media on canvas)

The second large painting in my Drishti Paintings series I’d like to discuss in-depth is titled I Am Powerful. This original abstract artwork measures 5’ x 4’ x 1.5” and is part of this series of 7 paintings that each represent a chakra or energy centre.

It is currently on display at Amelia Douglas Gallery at Douglas College in New Westminster until January 2025.

Kim Klein and Friend standing with I Am Powerful (2024) at the exhibit’s opening event.

The colour of personal power

This painting represents the solar plexus chakra, or energy centre, which is the third primary chakra. This chakra is represented by the colour yellow, whose frequency embodies the principles of intellectual power, mental acuity, and awakening. It relates to our digestive system, adrenal glands, and left brain activity.

Yellow stimulates our mental faculties and brings us clarity and an enthusiasm for life. Spiritually it is synergistic with confidence, optimism, and joy.

It is a colour of miracles and magic.

Some affirmations for this energy centre include: “I can achieve anything I set my mind to”, I’m motivated, persistent, and successful”, and “I'm fearless in the pursuit of what sets my soul on fire”. Others are “I hold the key to my own happiness”, “My soul is radiant”, and “I have the confidence to take big leaps”. 

And, of course, “I am powerful.”

The commonality with all of these affirmations and the energy of this area in your body is that it’s really about claiming your personal power. And this is something that (hopefully) we all go through in our lives–a point when we realize our own divinity within.

When you visit the gallery, you’ll notice that the painting’s title I Am Powerful is very large, unlike most artworks on display in other galleries, which typically have a tiny title card beside the bottom corner of the painting. What I’m communicating visually with these big titles below the final paintings on display is that the words are as important as the artwork.

Finding form in the formless

Generally when I make abstract art I focus on getting involved in colours and textures and feeling and integrating layers. It’s never with the aim of the painting actually looking like something. I’m an abstract painter and I’m creating abstract art that is formless.

However, when I look at this painting I see a globe and an earth, and I see light going through it and shooting up to the heavens and down below.

To me this feels like an incredible gesture and message from this painting because these paintings come through me. I didn’t plan this. I don’t have an image or sketch drawn up somewhere with an idea of what I’m going to do. That’s never part of my process.

I simply trust myself when I begin and I add one layer at a time. I have a set of principles (that I’ve been sharing in these posts), but the final image is always a surprise to me. So to end up with this illuminated globe, to me it signifies the power of the collective.

If all of us, as a collective on this planet, decided that we are powerful and that we are divine, and that we choose to focus on the positive in ourselves and others, and we saw our radiance and ourselves in each other, I truly believe that this would transform the planet. That is what I see in this painting.

I Am Powerful supports claiming your divinity, which is something we are all capable of. And it’s possible if you continue to focus on what is good and what is true within yourself; the divinity within you.

Applying the first layer of ‘I am Safe’

Shining through the black

In the image gallery above are some behind-the-scenes photos from the creation of this painting. You may notice in some of the pictures that I started with black. But in the back of my mind, I knew I was painting “I am powerful”, so the dominant colour of yellow would need to be revealed at the end as the focal point.

The challenge creatively with creating a multi-dimensional layered painting like this is that you want to have a dominant colour–such as the yellow shining through as it does in this piece.

But if you mix anything other than white with yellow, it turns into really weird colours. For example, mixing black with yellow gives you green. But if you start mixing other colours, you get muck. So I had to be very careful when adding a new layer and setting the tone and then letting it dry.

As such this painting was truly a test of my own personal power. I was forced to exercise this because after I’d put on a new layer, I had to let it dry completely before I could add something else. I could only do a little bit at a time, so it took many weeks to build up to that final place where we see this beautiful image.

Show Information

The Drishti Experience – Capturing the Frequency of My Well-Being

Deb Chaney, Solo Exhibit, Amelia Douglas Gallery

November 7, 2025 – January 9, 2025

Seven large scale mixed media abstract paintings by Deb Chaney. Her latest work is inspired by her desire to experience and visually express the frequency of her well-being. This series sheds light on the link between healing mental illness and developing spiritual consciousness.

Location

Amelia Douglas Gallery
Fourth Floor North, Douglas College
700 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC V3M 5Z5

Gallery Hours
Monday–Friday: 10:00 AM–7:30 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Gallery Website

A Drishti Painting Focus: I Am Safe

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Deb Chaney and James Teshima standing with I Am Safe (2024)

The first large painting in my series of Drishti Paintings is called I Am Safe. The original abstract artwork measures 5’ x 4’ x 1.5” and is part of this series of 7 paintings that each represent a chakra or energy centre.

It is currently on display at Amelia Douglas Gallery at Douglas College in New Westminster until January 2025. 

The root of it all

With this first painting we are looking at the root chakra–the base energy that each one of us has at the bottom of our body. When we are healthy in this chakra, we’re rooted in the earth and grounded, making us feel safe and secure. 

We have a sense of peace about being here in the physical world and the title of this painting–I Am Safe–is a powerful affirmation that encapsulates the frequency of well-being in that energy centre.

Conversely, when we are not holding a frequency of well-being in the first chakra, we can have ailments and things in our life can indicate that we’re out of balance in this area.

I Am Safe by Deb Chaney (4’ x 5’ x 1.5”)

The elements of focus

The whole point of each large Drishti painting is having a focus–which is represented by a colour. In this particular painting red is the focal point and the affirmation in the title, I Am Safe, is the focus. That dominant colour and the title affirmation is your drishti (focus).

Focusing on these 3 words may seem incredibly simple, but it’s a truly powerful practice. If you can keep your mind focused on a frequency of “I Am Safe” for 17 seconds, you create an energetic frequency and trajectory, and you’re going to perpetuate more feelings of well-being and safety in your life. You can literally change your vibration and therefore your physical well-being by focusing your thoughts.

Choosing a positive perspective ties into the series as a whole as your mind and your focus are so incredibly powerful. And this applies to each of the paintings in the series. 

Looking at this painting specifically, it has all the elements of a Drishti Painting in that there are 3 main elements that I always aim to incorporate. One is space, which you can see in the use of positive and negative space here. The second is the minty, light blue-green background used to contrast the main colour red so it really stands out. The whole idea is that you’re focused on that red energy.

And third, there’s the sacred geometry of the Flower of Life, which represents connections. 

Finding divine focus in the Fibonacci sequence

If you’ve read my earlier posts, you’ll know that I’ve based the composition of the Drishti Paintings on the Fibonacci sequence. And when I would show up to the canvas with these parameters ready to go, the focal point is like a big surprise.

In all my years of painting I’ve never approached the canvas thinking, “I’m going to paint a heart.” But when I stepped back from this painting, I realized I was looking at a physical heart. A real human heart. And when you map it out according to the Fibonacci sequence, if it were overlaid on a human body, the focal point is the heart. 

There is a bounty of spiritual knowledge and research about the heart being the centre of everything. Researchers in organizations such as HeartMath have been looking at how the heart has its own intelligence and how it perceives things more quickly than the brain.

According to Drunvalo Melchizedek in Journeys into the Heart, when meditating, you go inside your heart and everything you’ve been looking for is there. Your purpose and meaning in life is encoded in your heart, and meditation opens a doorway to a world within your heart. And I find this fascinating because to me this painting looks like a heart.

Applying the first layer of ‘I am Safe’

My personal journey

This all ties in with my personal journey as these Drishti Paintings are capturing the frequency of my well-being. I’ve done all of this healing and I want to share with the world that it is possible to heal. And the main takeaway is finding a connection with yourself and that meditating is the most potent, powerful thing that you do.

While working on each of these large paintings, I was surrounded by affirmations about what it means to feel safe in the world. What it means to feel good and grounded and be in a state of well-being. And all of these relate to the first chakra.

Many spiritual guides encourage you to put your hand on your heart, for it synergizes your mind with your heart and creates a powerful resonance. So during my walks outdoors I would put my hand on my heart and say to myself, “I'm safe in this universe and all life loves and supports me.”

When I finished this painting, I was looking at it and there was a moment when it hit me–the focal point of this painting, this big red blob, actually looks like a human heart. (And also a bit like brains.)

And since embarking on the creation of this series, and learning so much about well-being, I try to live each day and approach every challenge with my heart, as best as I can. I often ask myself: How can I see this person or situation with love? But this painting is really about I Am Safe, so I put my hand on my heart and I remind myself that I'm safe in this world and all beings and all life supports and loves me. And this is what I wish for everyone who views this painting.

Show Information

The Drishti Experience – Capturing the Frequency of My Well-Being

Deb Chaney, Solo Exhibit, Amelia Douglas Gallery

November 7, 2025 – January 9, 2025

Seven large scale mixed media abstract paintings by Deb Chaney. Her latest work is inspired by her desire to experience and visually express the frequency of her well-being. This series sheds light on the link between healing mental illness and developing spiritual consciousness.

Location

Amelia Douglas Gallery
Fourth Floor North, Douglas College
700 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, BC V3M 5Z5

Gallery Hours
Monday–Friday: 10:00 AM–7:30 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Gallery Website

This Painting Won an Award in the H20 Exhibition

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Underwater art ii by Deb Chaney (12” x 9”)

I’m thrilled to announce that my artwork won the Bronze Award in a juried exhibition by J. Mane Gallery. This was such a wonderful message to see when opening my email:

Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that your entry, Underwater Art ii has won a Bronze award in our 2024 H2O Online Art Exhibition at J. Mane Gallery. 

J. Mane Gallery

About the H2O Online Art Exhibition

“Water is one of the most important elements for sustaining human life.  We live on a water planet. It surrounds us, and we cannot live without it.”

These are the words from the gallery’s exhibition page, following a quote from Van Gogh.

"The heart of a man is much like the sea.  It has it's storms, it has it's tides and in it's depths it has it's pearls too."

Vincent van Gogh

The J. Mane Gallery’s water-themed 2024 H2O online art exhibition encouraged artists “to share their artistic vision and interpretation of abstract art.”

All 5 of my abstract paintings featured in the exhibit are in the gallery below.

In recognition of the other artists

I love that J. Mane Gallery is all about artists helping artists and I would like to share the other talented people who participated in this exhibition. 

Congratulations to all of these other incredible artists!

A bit more about J. Mane Gallery

Award-winning fine art photographer Jessica Kimmel Manelis launched the J. Mane Gallery after continued dissatisfaction with how gallery websites displayed her artwork.

The online gallery promotes the artwork of both emerging and experienced artists with a visually stunning website. The goal is to connect them with art buyers, enthusiasts, and fellow artists.

The gallery hosts monthly themed competitions and exhibitions to help artists gain exposure worldwide. You can read more about J. Mane Gallery here.

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

I had 5 abstract paintings exhibited in this online show. You can buy my award-winning artwork and the other 4 pieces online at Saatchi Art here:

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

My Abstract Artwork was Featured in Artistonish Magazine

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Re-Claiming i of ii by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

Last summer my contemporary abstract artwork was featured in Edition #35 of Artistonish magazine. The painting was featured in the June 2023 issue is Re-Claiming i of ii. 

About Artistonish Magazine

Artistonish is a contemporary art magazine that focuses on telling the compelling story of significant arts created by brilliant artists from all around the world.

It has both digital and print versions of its issues, reaching art lovers in over 120 countries.

You can view the online version of the issue here or order the print version here.

Re-Claming i of ii by Deb Chaney in the Artistonish Digital Edition

About the painting

The colour palette of this abstract artwork is primarily an uplifting, bright yellow over white, with watery brushstrokes of black. The mixed media artwork is acrylic, water soluble pencil, gesso, and sand on paper.

This painting captures the energy of our third chakra, which is the energy centre about owning our personal power. The affirmation for this region of our body surrounding our naval is “I am powerful”. 

The painting is called Re-Claiming because I painted this while working a day job in the paint department at our local hardware store. When my 3-day workweek ended, I would rest, and then find myself consciously re-claiming my creative practice and getting back into the studio.

This painting is in support of you re-claiming your own creative flow.

I wrote about its companion piece, Re-Claiming ii of ii, in a blog post last May.

About my Little Gem Series

This painting is part of my Little Gems Series of pieces that I create while practicing techniques, teaching art lessons, and for my own fun and creative exploration. I use them to hone my skills and to explore new techniques and ideas. 

Each painting in the series is bursting with the joy, love, and passion I feel in the studio. And all that energy and positivity is infused in every piece of artwork – which becomes my gift to you!

You can see more abstract paintings in the series here at Saatchi Art.

Other Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

You can purchase the original as well as high-quality prints of Re-Claiming i of ii online at Saatchi Art here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Re-Claiming-I-of-II/499285/10117023/view 

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives or agents.

Painting Series Inspired By Our Underwater World

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New Art ii by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

Painting Series Inspired By the Underwater World

I was looking back on this small series of paintings I did last year and came to the realization that they were inspired by a couple of things – and both have to do with our incredible oceans and the fascinating world beneath the surface. I experienced 2 ocean-related events in the last few months of 2021, which I’ll get to below.

The Incredible Power of Cold Water Swimming

I feel that my first source of inspiration can be attributed to my friend and fellow artist, Susan Grieg, who I mentioned in a recent blog post last month. She’s the founder of Braid St Studios – which is how we first met – but she’s since become a great friend.

Susan sent me a video of her friend and her cold water swimming during the winter. Real winter – as in November through January – not “almost spring” winter. And they weren’t simply doing a one-time Polar Bear Dip (which is a popular New Year's Day tradition in British Columbia). Susan and her friend go for an icy swim 1 to 3 times a week.

Curious and inspired, I hopped online to search for things like the benefits of cold-water swimming. And to my surprise (or not), I found out how good swimming in cold water is for your health. So, I said to myself – Okay, I’m going to go out and do it.

The next day, still committed to the task, I went for my morning walk and took my bathing suit with me. And I simply started. I was literally dunking myself in the ocean. And during the winter, it was cold(!) and it required a lot of courage to get in the water. But I did. And I would stay in the water, counting out loud, teeth chattering, for 60 long seconds.

But when I got out of the water, I would have this incredible, full-body buzz, and I felt so good afterwards. It was like all of my body heat was rushing to the surface of my skin, leaving me incredibly invigorated. I would feel so motivated and would have such a positive, productive day, that I just continued doing it.

These Little Gems were painted after I started the cold-water swimming, and I feel like this activity is reflected in their aesthetic. If you open your eyes while swimming underwater, these paintings are similar to what you might see.

Inspired By My Octopus Teacher

While octopuses are abundant in the waters off Gabriola and its surrounding islands, I did not encounter one during my cold water swims. The section heading is referring to My Octopus Teacher, a 2020 Netflix film that won the Oscar for Best Documentary last year, in addition to numerous other awards.

The film follows a man named Craig Foster as he begins a routine of cold water swimming every day off the coast of South Africa. Over time, he gets to know the local marine life and comes to develop a friendship – and bond – with a curious octopus. Watching the film, you can’t help but fall in love with the beauty and wonder of the underwater world.

I feel that this film and my own cold water swimming routine are the 2 main inspirations for this small series of paintings.

A Series Within a Series

These 5 paintings are part of my Little Gems Series of paintings, which I’ve mentioned in earlier posts (about other Gems, like Silent Sky and Rocky Mountain). They’re “practice pieces” that I use both as a way to explore new ideas and techniques as well as rehearse old ones. Each painting is unique in its own way and some of them grow beyond being practice pieces to become actual works of art.

Most of my Little Gems measure 9” x 12”, and all of the paintings in this “underwater” series follow that custom. There are 5 paintings in total, and four of them are acrylic on paper while one of them is ink on paper. All of the originals (and their prints) are available for purchase on Saatchi Art, which you can find at the following links:

Similar Original Artwork and Prints for Sale

In addition to the underwater series, you can browse through my collection on Saatchi Art’s online gallery.

Saatchi Art offers multiple options to suit your personal tastes or needs. Prints can be on paper or canvas and are usually available in 4 sizes – to better fit your room. So, even though the original New Art ii Painting is 9” x 12”, your print can be the same size as the original or bigger – at sizes of 15” x 20”, 24” x 32”, or 30” x 40”. You have the further option to have it framed in white, black, or natural wood.

The “View In A Room” image on Saatchi Art should give you an idea of its size and let you see what it looks like on a wall.