Breathing Spaces

Contact Info: christenmattix at gmail dot com

I’m seeking to live whole, slow and attentive in this crazy, smartphone age. A life that is constantly on the go and connected is not a sustainable one—nor the way I want to live. My paintings are about breathing spaces--the value of rest, play, and doing “nothing.” The most meaningful moments of my life are inefficient--writing poetry, sipping tea with a friend, or hiking in old growth forests. When I am painting, I feel blessed to enter this frame of mind of wu wei or nonstriving. Then, everything appears like the miracle that it is–whether that’s food, people or shadows on a wall.

For example, my painting “Part of the Pattern,” is about putting limits on constant busyness to see the deeper relationships that we share with our environment. The pattern of the women’s coat is echoed in the shape of the plants beside them. Gazing into space or closing their eyes, the women’s thoughts are not available to us, nor to the bombardment of advertisements. They are taking a moment for themselves. In the words of author and activist, Tricia Hershey, “Rest is resistance.” This painting also reflects the value of not filling up every space in our day—the empty holes in the monstera leaves are what make it beautiful and distinctive.

I wrote this in my sketchbook:

Imagine rest.

Imagine restoration.

Imagine safe spaces for women.

Imagine a new relationship to our bodies.

Imagine soft strength.

Imagine embodied theology.

What does permission look like?

Daydream...