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The Two Gardens – Being in Eden. A galaxy of vibrant yellows, grass green, pale blues, lilacs and lush greens gives form to a new realm of being. Rich magenta brushstrokes dance across the canvas, playful and inviting. Patches of blue peek through the vibrant yellows, growing larger as the eye travels diagonally upwards towards a semi-disguised globe in the upper corner, evoking the feeling of gazing into the heavens. A meditation on remembering Eden: a realm without story.

The Two Gardens – Being in Eden

Acrylic on canvas, 60cm x 50cm (23.6" x 19.7")

The Two Gardens – Cleansing the Soul. A whirlwind of blazing yellow, dusky pink and lush greens forms the foundation of this garden. Expressive, tender brushstrokes move through pale blues, lime green and vibrant cadmium orange, suffusing the painting with a quiet sense of healing. Rich pigments capture intangible moments, while subtle layers of white, light blue and pale violet reveal the unfolding of a soul's long history within the creative act itself. The painting is a meditation on the gentle release of what has long been carried.

The Two Gardens – Cleansing the Soul

Acrylic on canvas, 60cm x 50cm (23.6" x 19.7")

The Two Gardens

The Two Gardens emerged from deeper contemplation of the Garden of Eden as described in the Zohar. Kabbalah speaks of both an upper and a lower Garden—not as separate places, but as different dimensions of reality held within one another. As these paintings unfolded, I became aware of something I had not anticipated.

 

The love and wholeness encountered in the upper Garden seemed to move naturally towards the places of wounding carried within the lower Garden, allowing something that had long remained separate to begin returning towards wholeness.

The Two Gardens – Cleansing the Soul. A whirlwind of blazing yellow, dusky pink and lush greens forms the foundation of this garden. Expressive, tender brushstrokes move through pale blues, lime green and vibrant cadmium orange, suffusing the painting with a quiet sense of healing. Rich pigments capture intangible moments, while subtle layers of white, light blue and pale violet reveal the unfolding of a soul's long history within the creative act itself. The painting is a meditation on the gentle release of what has long been carried.
The Two Gardens – Being in Eden. A galaxy of vibrant yellows, grass green, pale blues, lilacs and lush greens gives form to a new realm of being. Rich magenta brushstrokes dance across the canvas, playful and inviting. Patches of blue peek through the vibrant yellows, growing larger as the eye travels diagonally upwards towards a semi-disguised globe in the upper corner, evoking the feeling of gazing into the heavens. A meditation on remembering Eden: a realm without story.

“This painting cleanses the soul for The World to Come."

​– Susan Smith

English Translation

We learn that God created two countenances, and when the soul leaves the body, it goes to the two Gardens. There are two visions, one for the soul in this world and one for the soul in the World to Come. This verse carries secrets of the resurrection and elevates us spiritually, ensuring a Light-filled transition from this world to the next.

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