Beginning
Image © Trevor Anzai 2023
Growing up, arts and crafts were pleasant activities. I watched many episodes of Art Attack and Dr. Dress Up, one of the few programs on our cableless TV. Watching others draw and paint inspired me to create. I became very good at art; I even won several awards in elementary and high school for the highest marks. Despite this, I was encouraged to keep art as a hobby so I could provide in other (and more lucrative) ways. Since art was only a hobby, I studied business at university. After graduation and a few jobs later, I considered making art more often.
This year, I made time for a one-day silent retreat in the Ontario woods. It took place during a trying season, when I left work while on stress leave because of health problems. The retreat reminded me to listen, to reflect on the present moment, and to see where my faith is guiding me. In reflection, I remembered that I am good at art, and it’s a gift I can share with others. Afterwards, I painted while in recovery. The creative experience brought me to life!
This art piece represents a new beginning because it is a sunrise. I worked on this piece with a new process. I usually paint on standard gallery canvases, but this time I made use of a wooden panel that was given to me. Like other artists, we are constantly learning and developing our craft. This wooden panel required me to seal and prime the wood before working on it—something I had never done before. Even the natural circumstances created a newness to my process. I woke up very early one morning to the sound of birds and a sunrise and decided that was the very hour I would begin the artwork.
This painting is titled “Beginning.” It was inspired by the sunrise and lake at my mother’s cottage in Québec. It is a peaceful place that my mother-in-law described as “a bit of heaven on earth.” The composition reminds us that the rising sun signifies a new beginning and a fresh start. The past is gone; those harder seasons are behind us. May it represent the peace we can receive because a new day has begun. This painting complements another piece, “Setting Sun,” revolving around the theme of light.