"I make acrylic and mixed media paintings using animals, plants and repetitive words to express virtues like compassion, joy and courage.

My animals, like my Buddha Panda, also known as The Listener, become
larger-than-life characters that have no problem contemplating their divine nature and listening to the terms of endearment that vibrate all around them.

Each painting has a pulse, created by overlapping patterns of symbols and words applied with stencils. I paint this way because I really enjoy movement. I always have. When I was a young girl I did back flips in our not-so-large living room and dreamt about being an Olympic gymnast. It’s that energy of an excited child that interests and sustains me. There’s a timelessness about it that I refer to in my paintings by layering color after color, texture after texture.

Of course, in the midst of all movement, there is a still point. In my work I offer viewers a chance to rest in that stillness. I find that same peace in sources that become my influences such as the sacred poetry of Lalleshwari and Hafiz. I’m also supported by nature, especially when I’m observing animals and the infinite palettes of mountains, sky and plant life."
                                         

                                    - Crystal Daigle