:: Naked Brunch: Robert Dowling's Art, Music, Contemplation, Philosophy, Life, Paths & Growth ::

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Life is all about the paths you take.

I tend to take the one less traveled (when I don't let other constraints don't bind me too hard - and, I didn't mean those kind of constraints!) - as does Robert Dowling.

As a lesson to us all, this young man (k/t Liberal Avenger), took a path that, was not necessarily extraordinary in context, but certainly difficult for him. We all have challenges - his is trying to find some normalcy in his own. Life and death amongst them (and our ability to actually live that life) the most meaningful of all - as it is our beginning and end, a cycle, if you will. What you make of it, is always your choice. Your path(s) to travel.

Robert Dowling contemplates his won paths in his latest offering, "Contemplating All the Wrongs I Have Made."

Acknowledging the past and the realities of a given life is difficult at best. Individuals often can not see their own life and how they live for the forest - of time and living itself. Taking the time to find insight, to know yourself, is equally important. It gives you direction, depth, motivation and insight into why you do what you do. Just like you, I often dread the day to day drudgery, the minutiae, that comes packaged with our particular life. Predominately, I dislike this because it is such a time waster and I would rather be out there experiencing, learning something new, different - learning, growing, creating wisdom within myself.

In-between contemplation of my navel, though, I revel in life, those moments of joy and discovery. Even when it is painful. Regardless, you learn something, something that guides and influences the path you take. Every day, every single day, new mysterious paths await you, dark or light, dim or well-lighted, it is your decision, and yours alone. The thing is, you must always remember the mistakes, too - and, above all, learn from them, so you don't spend your life in a loop, doing the same thing, over and over again, ad naseum. All that leads to is a life unfulfilled, regret, stupidity and it's damned boring as well. Being scared of life, what is on the other side is such cowardice. Get out of your comfort zone. You won't regret it. Allow yourself to be open to new experience - because, that, my friends "IS" life.

This little philosophical discussion brings us back to Rob's new painting, "Contemplating All the Wrongs I Have Made." Robert's paintings, above all, are one small element of his life, his dreams, his "other side." In this sense, he too shares how he broods on life's experiences, good and bad. The debits and credits you stack up as life moves, inevitably, forward and beyond - before you can even blink your eyes, life changes.

I was chatting with Rob last night and told him, the one thing I would really like, is to own that wall he paints on behind the paintings. The wall represents his ideas, his diary, if you will, or journal of art over a period of time. It is very telling and changes constantly. So many paths he has taken. This new painting is representative of his churning desire to understand, synthesize what has happened before - and redirect it all.

The "cosmos" figure represents him at a divergent period of his life. Where he took a path or two, while turning out badly, taught him a lesson in this time, in his life as it is now. You can see in the foreground, all the doorways and paths through which he had opportunities and which are there for him again. Regress or progress. Where to go, what to do? Regret? Deal with it, understand it, learn from it - now it is time to move forward. Sometimes, as illustrated, those doorways will eat your alive. There are some incidents in life that simply haunt you to your dying day. To, the other side. Things you, yourself, have caused to happen or where you were a participant. No matter how successful you become, these things rarely leave you. They may be camouflaged with a smile, with secrets, with seeming confidence. Regardless, they are there and make up your psyche.

Rob, has had much to contemplate in his life and it has resulted in the brilliance of his psyche, his vision, his depth, and his mystery. The universe as Rob knows it is encapsulated in a canvas, in the continuum, in the evolving change of live, its' planes of existence - past and present - and its' perceptions. Encapsulated in a bubble with a seemingly tough hide. Just one tear in that canvas, though, and it all spills out with epiphanies and an examination of self, so deep, it can still a beating heart - that of the viewer. Because, what we see there, we see in ourselves as well.

"Contemplating All the Wrongs I Have Made" is available through Thursday, February 1st. The painting is an original, 28" by 42" on gallery-wrapped canvas and created with oils and acrylics as well as other media. Please visit the link above for more information and higher quality images.

tag: a perfect circle, oreste, outsider frosted yogurt mix, robert dowling, art, painting, surrealism, fantasy, abstract, dark, life, contemplation, change, learning, growth, road less traveled, context, ebay, life, love, understandering, human nature, cycle, continuum
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