Joy

Year: 2020
Medium: Mixed media with acrylics, marble powder, and paper on canvas
Dimensions: 18 × 24 inches

Collector’s Notes

Composition

Joy unfolds as an energetic yet balanced composition, anchored by a bold heart motif at its center—layered, outlined, and partially revealed through surrounding textures. Flowing floral forms weave across the surface, their stems curling and intersecting like living lines of connection. At the base, grounded elements resembling stones provide visual weight, offering contrast and stability to the upward movement of growth and bloom.

Color & Light

A vibrant spectrum of reds, corals, yellows, greens, blues, and charcoal tones animates the surface. Bright passages emerge through darker layers, creating a sense of depth and discovery. Light appears not as a single source, but as something uncovered—revealed through intentional carving and layering—suggesting that joy is often something we arrive at, rather than something given.

Medium & Texture

Heavily textured flowers rise from the surface, their tactile presence heightened by marble powder and layered materials. Some petals are lush and full, while others are edged with subtle thorns, reinforcing the complexity of emotional experience. Areas of darker pigment have been deliberately carved back, exposing luminous color beneath—an approach that mirrors the act of uncovering joy through effort, resilience, and awareness.

Style & Story

While expressive and contemporary in style, Joy is conceptually grounded in emotional psychology and lived experience. Referencing the duality outlined in Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions—where joy and sadness exist as paired opposites—the painting acknowledges that happiness is not naïve or constant, but deeply connected to contrast. The heart motif functions not as sentimentality, but as an emblem of emotional courage.

Emotional Connection

This work radiates warmth and optimism without denying struggle. It invites the viewer to reconnect with a childlike openness—to remember laughter as a form of strength. There is a sense of permission embedded in the piece: permission to pause, to celebrate, and to consciously cultivate joy even amidst difficulty.

Context & Significance

Created at the threshold of 2020, Joy stands as both a blessing and a reminder. In hindsight, its message carries particular resonance—affirming joy not as escapism, but as an essential practice. For collectors, the piece offers enduring relevance: a visually rich, emotionally intelligent work that speaks to resilience, balance, and the quiet power of choosing happiness.

Message from the Artist

Joy was created as a wish—a hope and a blessing for happiness, abundance, and light.

As adults, we often forget how naturally joy comes to children. They laugh freely, live in the moment, and move forward without carrying the weight of yesterday. Somewhere along the way, we lose that ease. Yet joy remains one of our greatest allies—it cushions us through hardship and gives us the strength to continue.

In this painting, I’ve included both flowers and thorns, brightness and darkness, smooth surfaces and rough textures. Life is all of it. I carved into darker layers to reveal color beneath, because even in challenging times, joy can be uncovered if we are willing to look for it.

My hope is that this work reminds you to create space for laughter, play, and gratitude—to consciously invite joy back into your life, not as a fleeting emotion, but as a way of being.

When you purchase a Sacred Heartwork, you receive:

✦ The original artwork, signed and sealed with intention

✦ A Certificate of Authenticity

✦ A handwritten note from Rashmi

✦ The story behind the work — its inspiration, symbolism, and message

✦ Premium shipping & packaging

✦ Complimentary digital mock-up of the art hanging in your space

✦ Optional framing & hanging kit