The Beginning
This painting was the first to come to life on my journey of rediscovering my love for art.
It was a hot summer day when I was walking along the Danube river with my better half. During our walk, he told me that art would always be a part of me and asked me why I wouldn’t give it another chance. Without thinking too much, I simply said, “Why not? I could try… what could go wrong?”
And from that day on, my journey began — a journey of nourishing the starved part of my soul once again.
When I got home, I went through my old sketchbooks, looking for a sketch. I wanted to find a specific one that was already a decade old, something that had already started to take shape in my mind during our conversation. The painting that would eventually appear on the canvas was already clear in my head. Its meaning was deeply personal — and something that would stay with me throughout my entire life.
The Meaning
This painting is one of the many windows into my soul.
The title of the painting already gives a glimpse into what it is about. The scene takes place in a desert — everything is dry, barren, and lifeless. There is no sign of life as far as the eye can see, except for the tree standing directly before us. A tree is commonly known as a symbol of life, and in this painting it carries that meaning as well. But more than anything, it represents family — much like the idea of a family tree. The tree itself appears in its natural form, yet it is impossible to overlook that its branches have been cut off and are bleeding. Despite this, they remain where they belong rather than lying on the ground.
The distance between the branches reflects the distance within a family, while the blood represents the pain that comes along with it. That distance can be understood in more than one way. It can represent physical distance — being separated from someone by miles — but it can also represent the distance between this world and the afterlife. The branches are not bare, they carry lush, green leaves. The tree is alive and continues to grow. There are also eyes within its trunk. They look outward and have become part of the tree itself. They are its “windows to the soul” — reflecting its feelings and thoughts to the outside world. Yet we will never truly know what lies behind those eyes. Only the tree itself knows.
In this dry and lifeless place, one might wonder how the tree could possibly survive. Yet its large, strong roots reach toward the water of a fresh blue oasis nearby. Two swans are floating upon the water. Swans are seen as a symbol of love, as they are known for forming lifelong bonds with their chosen partner. The oasis therefore becomes a symbol of love — and that love is what gives the tree its strength to live.
The sky does not tell us whether it is clearly day or night. It is bright, yet stars can still be seen. It exists somewhere in between — neither day nor night.
The clouds have eyes as well. They are silent observers and guardians, watching over everything from above. They will appear again in my future paintings as a recurring motif.
