Every time I look at this large intuitive mixed-media abstract painting I get goosebumps…

What you don’t know is . . . I paint it before I went to an off-grid retreat in a hidden Welsh valley.  I have never been there before, or seen pictures of this place but I heard it’s magical.

After spending 5 days meditating in silence amongst waterfalls and surrounded by wild nature (with no electricity, running water or wifi connection), I reconnected with the truth of WHO I AM. 

Words can’t describe how transformative the experience I had there was. While there I had some deep realisations about life and how I want to show up in the world. I also realised that the practice of making art is the practice of living fully. Suddenly the line between life and art began to blur and it feels amazing. 

When I got back from the retreat, the first thing I saw when I entered my home was this painting. 

But what I saw did not make any logical sense!

I saw something beyond just a painting. I saw the hidden valley in Wales in my abstract. 

Just like that! 

© 2023 Magdalena Smolarska Visual Artist. All rights reserved.