TAMARA ENGLISH: The central focus of my oil paintings is the investigation of the personal sense of the divine, beyond the container of any specific religion. Just as quantum physics describes the movement of what is invisible to the eye, mystics of many different traditions describe realms beyond the physical world such as the subtle and causal realms. My work explores what is transpiring in these realms, where our perceptions and beliefs are found. The paintings reveal both the investigation of these invisible realms, said to be where one can best develop a relationship with the divine of one’s understanding, and how all we see is imbued with the divine presence. The visual vocabularies of Middle Eastern tile-work, medieval European illuminated manuscripts, Indian textiles, and 20th century particle physics serve as references for making visible and experiential this invisible ocean of energy we live in. With their musicality and beauty, the patterns found adorning places and objects of worship reveal the rhythm and movement of what is unseen. These constructs of pattern reveal a tension of opposites, showing both the repetition of simple forms and the vibrancy and complexity that comes forth as these elements are brought together with repetition.