Upcoming Solo Exhibit—The Drishti Experience (Part 1)
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The Dristhi Paintings (in process) by Deb Chaney
This is the first in a series of 5 posts focused on my upcoming solo painting exhibit: The Drishti Experience – Capturing the Frequency of My Well-Being.
What is a Drishti?
Imagine you are in a yoga class. You’re doing a pose that requires you to balance and the instructor encourages you to find a spot on the wall to focus on.
That spot is “a drishti”. And by focusing on this, you begin to lose your wobble and hold steady.
The same applies in life, when we choose a positive focus, it helps us to find our well-being.
9 Years in the making
While giving an artist’s talk in 2015 Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society, an audience member asked me if I could identify the key factor in my healing from mental illness. My answer was the definition of a Drishti. I realized that when I chose a positive focus, this in turn helped me to create my well-being and support my healing.
And it was then that the seed for this Drishti Paintings series was planted. I wanted to find a way to visually share how I found my well-being.
The beginning of this series started with many small studies on paper that typically measure 11” x 15”. Before I could even think about starting the large paintings, I needed to figure out all of the components–the sacred geometry flower of life elements, colours, and composition–and how they would work and layer them together to visually capture the essence of well-being.
This is why, up until last month, I still had all of these large blank canvases. Dozens of smaller works, as well as hundreds of hours, can often be found leading up to a single finished large painting.
If you're curious, you can see some of these small studies in my “Little Drishti’s” series on Saatchi Art.
Starting small
While working on these small studies, my process evolved into clarity that would serve me when I finally tackled the big paintings. The clarity for how I would execute all the components I wanted to include in the final large scale Drishti Paintings didn’t come at all at once. It felt like I had to figure out one component at a time.
I was confident in my choice of colours–each colour representing the energy frequency of each energy centre (chakra) in the body.
I was also clear about incorporating the flower of life’s sacred geometry, representing the interconnectedness amongst all living things and what I feel is one of the essential ingredients of our well-being: connection.
The third component of these paintings–the composition–still escaped me. I’ll get into the story about how I finally figured out what it would be in the next email (Part 2) in this series.
To our well-being,
Deb Chaney
P.S. You can also read my full feature article in the September 2024 issue of What Women Create Magazine or online here.
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.
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 7, 4:30 PM–6:30 PM
Featuring live music, hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar
Artist Talk: TBA
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