This painting is dedicated to the turtle and the tortoise. Turtles are the world’s oldest creatures, appearing over 200 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs. They survived major Earth changes, inhabited the waters, and were considered the wisest of souls in the animal kingdom by the Indigenous people.
 
Although the tortoise appeared 55 million years ago, I best associate this land creature with a popular fable from my childhood, “The Tortoise and the Hare”. Because of its steadfastness and focus, the tortoise wins a race against the speedy, but undisciplined and cocky hare.
 
The turtle and tortoise each reside in a shell and are always “at home” within themselves. They embody the meaning of “Home is where the Heart is”. 
 
May I embody their symbolic wisdom, steadfastness, and heart-centered Love. May I soar on wings of Faith and Trust, as I dare to envision a “Heaven on Earth”.