Art is a way of expressing everything we are going through. It has the power to evoke emotion...to put us in touch with the unseen self, often hidden.
Childhood
If I look back as a young girl I didn’t feel I fitted in, apart from my sport, which I loved with a passion. Sport was where I felt happiest, it was a pastime that I was good at and excelled in! Unlike school, where I was challenged. Unfortunately there were no tests back then for dyslexia, which may have otherwise helped me. Let's say school was a disaster and somewhere I always felt out of place.
Hiding a gift
I have always felt a presence of something with me but I hid it and I didn’t understand it, and back then you certainly didn’t talk about it. If you saw dead people you certainly weren’t meant to have conversations with them or tell anybody about it. Yet this was to become a very big part of my life, one which I grappled with. For years I tried to ignore that part of me, yet this “calling” became stronger and stronger. I tried many jobs but felt very lost and unhappy, eventually I surrendered to this calling to see what would happen.
Fear of ridicule
By the late nineties I was already a young mum with two little girls and still trying to find my way through life. I was going through all the challenges of a difficult marriage break-up, when I was to find my place - working as a psychic medium in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Although I was happy doing my work, I did struggle with the challenges of being judged and ridiculed when people asked what I did. Ireland was quite a different place back then. This resulted in me stopping my work, but little did I know there was no getting away from it as it was going to take on a different form.
A desire to paint
Shortly afterwards I started to have this overwhelming desire to paint, which grew and grew. I thought that this was interesting and exciting although I had no formal training. I thought to myself that I would have to give it a go and follow the feeling. I tried with paint brushes and pencils, oil and acrylic, but nothing felt quite right. I just didn’t connect with it until February 14th 2001 (Valentines day) I came upon pastels and then I knew I had found the right medium for me to work with (pardon the pun). I had no idea what I was about to paint, but I simply decided to let go and see what would happen. I began to understand that whoever was guiding me, wanted me to paint with my hands. On finishing my first piece I realised that it was an angel!
Another World
All I know is that this felt so right. It’s difficult to express what happens when I paint, but if I were to summarise in words, it feels like I am simply transferring energy, a loving energy, from one world to another. In those moments, I see myself as a link, receiving messages and visions from an unseen world. You could say that my mediumship was in fact taking on a different form. There was no getting away from it! With time, I realised that I could help so many more people through these visual representations.
The Sanctuary
The creative process for this body of work continued for a further 10 years with over 36 guardian angels revealing themselves along with their messages. I, along with the love of my life, Eugene, embraced the work of the angels and our passion to create a space for people to experience. We first established the Angel Art Gallery or The Sanctuary in Rathdrum Ireland and then in France. In each space we carefully hung the Angels alongside their messages. As the work from this other world took its place and visitors started to make their way to the sanctuary as it became more formally known as. We witnessed a complete transformation unfold with visitors reporting their own uplifting experiences and realizations. I call it “the helping hand of spirit” which helps bring comfort, joy, inspiration and upliftment.
Lymes Disease
Although the work brings so much joy into the world it is not without its challenges. It was in 2015 that I was to become seriously ill resulting in the gallery space closing as I needed full-time care. It took a further five years to get a diagnosis of Lymes disease. It has been a long journey and whilst I am not yet back to full health, my hope is that one day in the not so distant future I will be able to create more pieces and open a sacred space again.
Until next time,
Lorrie x
Ps: Feel free to leave a comment. :)