A Mother’s Love

2020
Mixed Media on Canvas
Dimensions: 18 x 30 inches

Collector’s Notes

Composition:
Three textured candles rise from the canvas, their flames elongated and radiant. The central flame reveals within it the delicate features of a woman’s face — a mother, both luminous and self-effacing. At the base, soft pink roses emerge, anchoring the warmth of sacrifice with the tenderness of affection. Golden swirls dance across the background, like blessings and prayers weaving through the air, balancing the earthly and the divine.

Color & Light:
Deep reds and rich blacks provide a dramatic backdrop, evoking both the trials and sanctity of motherhood. Gold accents glimmer across the canvas, symbolic of sacredness and reverence, while the fiery oranges and yellows of the flames suggest vitality, endurance, and devotion. The palette as a whole radiates both strength and serenity.

Medium & Texture:
The mixed media approach allows for a tactile richness: thick, sculptural textures on the candles contrast with the fluid, ornate swirls in the background. The carved layering of paint on the roses and flames enhances the sense of depth and movement, inviting the viewer to linger and trace the story embedded in the surface.

Style & Story:
Infused with symbolism, the work stands as a universal ode to motherhood. The candle flames represent the light mothers bring into their children’s lives, while the woman’s eyes remind us of the quiet selflessness behind that glow. Drawing upon cultural and spiritual traditions, the painting situates mothers not just as caregivers, but as guiding forces — embodiments of love, sacrifice, and endurance.

Emotional Connection:
To encounter A Mother’s Love is to feel a reverberation of gratitude. The work transcends cultural boundaries, appealing to a primal recognition: that a mother’s love is both a shelter and a beacon. It is at once deeply personal and universally resonant, reminding collectors that certain truths — love, sacrifice, and devotion — bind humanity together.

Context & Significance:
Created in 2020 as a tribute for Mother’s Day, this painting echoes across faiths and philosophies. From biblical reverence for Mary, to the Hindu call of Matru-devo-bhava, to the Prophet’s words prioritizing mothers above all, this work embodies the sanctity of maternal love. The poetic verses woven into its narrative further root it in both reflection and reverence, ensuring its legacy as a heartfelt homage to one of life’s greatest forces.

Message from the Artist

This piece emerged from my reflection on the bond between mother and child — a connection that is at once instinctive, nurturing, and transcendent. I wanted to express not just tenderness, but the immense strength and resilience that accompanies maternal love. The layering of textures allowed me to suggest both fragility and endurance, the soft embrace holding steady against the weight of the world.

In painting this, I thought about how a mother’s love often exists in the quiet, uncelebrated gestures: protection offered without hesitation, sacrifices made without recognition. There’s a universality to this devotion, but also an individuality — each relationship carries its own cadence, its own rhythms of comfort and challenge.

Ultimately, this work became less about depicting a figure and more about capturing an atmosphere — a cocoon of safety and unconditional care. It reminds me that love at its purest is not passive, but active, a steady current that shapes and sustains life itself.