Original: oil and acrylic on canvas, 48 inches in diameter; © Lee Robinsong 1984
“Spirit-Swallows” depicts the southern Cortes Island coastline at the head of the Georgia Strait, between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. A squall pushing through from the west brings rainbows, lightning and a single crack of thunder to a beautiful spring day. Standing on the beach, I can smell the ocean, washed up seaweed, clams and oysters, and the cedar and pine of the nearby damp forest.
This early circular painting is a particular favourite of mine because it’s about hope. It portrays 101 swallows flying the path of the labyrinth. It captures the relief that the annual return of these little migratory birds instils in the human heart, and that feeling that everything is once again well with the world. It affirms that, wherever you are on the labyrinth, you’re on the right path.
