Golden Glow: Held by the Water (Painting of Yemaya)

I’ve always felt at home in the water.

There’s something about being submerged that quiets the noise of the world. The body softens. The mind slows down. Everything feels a little more spacious.

Golden Glow came from that feeling.

In the painting, a woman floats underwater, her blue hair blending into the currents around her. Two large goldfish swim beside her like curious companions. The whole scene lives in deep blues and glowing light, as if the water itself is holding her.

While working on this piece, I kept thinking about a playful idea I’ve had for years. If I come back in another life, I want to be a fish. Just swimming around all day, moving with the current, existing in a world where everything feels fluid and free.

But as I sat with that image, my thoughts kept drifting to Yemaya, the ocean goddess who in many traditions is considered the mother of the sea, the mother of all fish, and the mother of humanity itself.

Yemaya carries the energy of deep, unconditional care. The kind that reminds me of walking into my mother’s kitchen growing up. That feeling of warmth. Of being fed. Of being loved without needing to explain anything.

That’s the energy that lives inside this painting.

Not the wild, crashing ocean. The nurturing side of the sea. The feeling of being held, supported, and completely safe inside something larger than yourself.

The goldfish in the piece feel almost like guides. Quiet witnesses. They move beside her without urgency, reminding us that life doesn’t always need to be rushed or forced.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is float, breathe, and trust the water to carry us for a moment.

To me, Golden Glow is about surrender. About remembering that we are supported in ways we don’t always see.

And sometimes the medicine we need most is simply to soften.

If this piece speaks to you, visit the shop to see if the original painting is still available.

And if it has already found its home, there are many other paintings waiting to be discovered.