Project Background

I am a mustard seed in the middle of the sphere of the
moon, which is itself a mustard seed within the next sphere.
So it is with all spheres, one inside the other, and all of
them are a mustard seed within the further expanses.

—Moses Cordovero
Author, Rabbi, and Mystic, 15th Century

In the iridescent art of From Seed to Universe, I combine insights gained from a transformative, Bach Chaconne-infused dream with imagery based on a regenerative symbol known throughout the world as the Tree of Life or Cosmic Tree. Together, these two complementary inspirations, one musical and the other visual, describe life’s passage through recurring cycles of change as it continually builds new forms from the seeds and structures of the past.

Beginning from the dream’s spiral galaxy foundation, the separate “organic mandalas” of the From Seed to Universe drawings expand into forty-eight visual illuminations that illustrate the constant interconnection between microcosmic and macrocosmic worlds. With its references to the related meanings of the word illuminate, “to make luminous or shining” and “to enlighten spiritually or intellectually,” this project shares a philosophical kinship with illuminated manuscripts from medieval and Renaissance times but reimagines their meditative purpose in contemporary form.

I plan to translate the art of From Seed to Universe into an exhibit that features my own work together with examples of Tree of Life art from a variety of diverse cultures and spiritual traditions. The exhibit will be also include an immersive, subtly animated multimedia installation that allows the sequential design of the entire series to continually unfold and rearrange itself—over time—into a larger collective form.

This project has been a life’s work. The final drawings of From Seed to Universe will be posted on the gallery page of my website as they are completed. If you would like to be notified of new postings, please add your name and email to the mailing list on my contact page.

For more detailed information about the origins and meanings of my design choices for From Seed to Universe, please visit the About the Art and About Bach’s Chaconne pages of this site.