The “Follow Your Joy” series spotlights individuals who are transforming their lives and the lives of others by listening to their inner bliss.
Artist, Keren Or Benafshi’s joy lead her to a deep connection with nature that resulted in a growing passion to create a special form of abstract art.
After spending much time in an Australian rainforest, Keren found a new life journey through transferring the connections she found in nature into energy art. Each artistic creation holds the intention to again transfer this intelligent design to the viewer.
The following interview highlights Keren’s journey and shares insight on her art creation process.
Energy Art by Keren Or Benafshi
Sandy Breckenridge: Greetings Keren, Thank you for this opportunity to interview you from across the globe!
We are delighted to have this opportunity to dialogue with you about your beautiful energy paintings and abstract art, such as this first piece, the Lovers shown to the right.
First we would like to share with our site’s viewers a little bit about your background before we discuss your art philosophy and your artistic techniques.
Can you share your background with us and how you were called to become a spiritual artist?
Meditating in the Rainforest
Keren Benafshi: After military service in Israel, I decided to travel around the world. I spent a year in India then went on to Thailand.
Next I went on to Australia where I felt I was in heaven the the moment I went inside the rainforest. I felt home for the first time in my life and felt like I belonged.
As a child I always felt different from the environment in Israel. My clothing, way of talking; dancing in the streets instead of walking. I always felt I could sense the deepest feelings in people.
I lived for a year next to a tea tree lake in a tent and I ended up staying there for two years living inside this rainforest. I would mediate for hours reflecting on the parts of the trees and different plants. The longer I looked into my environment the deeper I started to see. After a few months I was able to actually see what looked to me like the atom structures of all that exits around me.
Realization All is One
You may call it energies, atom, pixels, vibrations…really all the same meaning using different words. The wild rainforests and scenic deserts of Australia is where I came to the great realization that “all is one.”
All the universe is like one big geometrical nut that is made of an infinity of geometrical shapes through frequency and movement.
Everything we see is made of an infinite layers which creates matter as we know it. The deeper we are able to see we see these geometrical shapes that are made of little dots.
Fitness of a Spiritual Artist
Sandy: What an exciting and expansive time of life that must have been for you. In my world I would call that a spiritual awakening. I can understand how this experience lead you to become a spiritual artist.
Keren: Yes, to become a spiritual artist (to channel love vibrations) means to be able to let go of self judgmental, empty your thoughts, and become a vessel for the universe’s vibrations to flow through you…to let go, not think, and just be.
My suggestions are to practice meditation every day and spend a good deal of time in your life living out in nature….to do so is soul cleansing.
Also, take care of your body because if you want to be a clear channel you have to be ready and in shape. So its good to exercise everyday. I feel when a person is opening to a connection to the universe and to channel their body vibration moves faster and faster and if they don’t take care of their body they could end up getting hurt because of being out of shape.
Sandy: I can get that. I find that when we try to do to much our body can say, wait a minute … slow down! So to channel — you are saying — exercise regularly so that you are prepared physically, as well as spiritually, and mentally, to channel what comes to you.
Perhaps, people sometimes create energy blocks because they are not ready for everything they take on.
Now I like to ask, what drew you to the artistic mediums you use in your energy paintings?
The Vibrancy in Benafshi’s Abstract Art
Keren: I create my art images with fluorescent acrylics colors. I actually developed my own mix. (This are image shown to the left is an image before exposing it to a black light.)
I started to create my art first by using regular acrylics paints. But, I soon realized I wasn’t getting the vitality I see in nature in the way I love to represent it.
While I was looking at the sunrise and seeing how everything shines and glows, and then looking under water at the living colors I knew I wanted to recreate what I saw. So I started to research fluorescent colors.
I soon found that all fluorescent colors are not the same quality. Some on the market are not very good and cracks when the paint becomes dry or the fluorescent diminishes after a while.
I kept researching. Then I found colors that were that were vibrant were made with a large percentage of phosphorus, which can be quite dangerous to the artist’s health. So I kept experimenting.
I eventually had ordered fluorescent acrylic paint from over 20 different countries which lead me to find the right mix with the lowest percent of chemicals while still retaining vivid hues and vibrancy that would last for years.
Sandy: It is evident that you figured that out the magic formula when we view your paintings. I love the example of the vibration we see here in a painting before introducing it to black light and after!
This is what drew me to your beautiful images. There is so much movement and vibrancy in your art.
Can you tell us a bit about your creative process and the intent you wish to convey in your paintings?
The Golden Rectangle & the Creative Process
Keren: During the first two years when I was creating my paintings I would do so with eyes closed.
Then my third year people that came to my exhibitions began telling me that I was using the golden section (the golden rectangle).
I didn’t know what they meant. So I started to read science books so I could learn more of what my paintings depicted. Doctors who came to my exhibitions began showing me parts of my paintings and shared how they were comparable to illustrations in medical books (photos from inside human being body, essentially, how they were the same.
So I soon realized each of my paintings just may have healing powers. I started to experiment with different people who had various illnesses and I we found relating to the art seemed to actually promote healing in most of them.
Now, when I finish each painting I take a whole month to view the painting and take in “what each art piece tells me.” I actually hear a voice inside of me that explains each of the images intent and what they are about.
Movement in Art as a Catalyst for Healing
Sandy: That is exciting that your spiritual art is a catalyst for healing! What type of healing do you wish to invite with your art, or is it just random, as in whatever shows up?
Karen: While I was living in the rainforest I realized that healing relies on movement; all we choose we experience and everything that enters us moves out of us too.
Movement is basic to existence. Movement means liveliness = health = happiness = renewal and above all experience. Our life is an accumulation of different experiences. The dot is a circle where all ends and all starts.
The unsymmetrical of the symmetry creates movement, while we create a perfect symmetry, we create symbols, or I like to say a static position without a flicker wave.
Because we are living between walls most of the time we should at least put art on the walls in our environments. The kind of art that provides movement to make the wall disappear!
As an artist, my wish is to portray joy, love, and harmony while incorporating nature and the wilderness, and the warmth of the sun and bring this into everyday urban life.
Sandy: What are your future creative plans?
Keren: Funny question, Sandy! The future is the mystery of life and this the beauty of life as well. We can never know what the future holds for us. I wish to keep working with light, people, and the life within my paintings.
Sandy: Thank you so much for sharing this time with us. We appreciate the love you extend into your art, thus out into the world. Any last words you would like to share.
Keren: Yes, now is the time for all of us to fulfill our dreams. The universe is shifting into higher vibrations of love; Future, present, and past are one. I want to tell everyone to let go of their fears, be loved and love, and be in peace.
Thank you, Sandy, blessings!
Sandy: Thank you so very much Keren. Do keep us informed on your new paintings and drop by and let us know of some of the experiences people while interacting with your art. We would love to stay in touch.
To learn more view > Keren Or Benafshi Energy Art Paintings
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