Circles as Symbols of Protection

Reflections on a Work in Progress: Part Two

When I left off the other time on my reflections about this new piece, I was pondering the seemingly spontaneous emergence of circular shapes in my artwork. These circles have kind of appeared unplanned in my work for a long time. And I just allow myself to go with the flow. It’s much like the birds I observed hovering over their nests, assessing their surroundings before landing. I find myself circling around the meaning of these shapes, contemplating their significance before settling on an interpretation.

This piece really took off during my brief but may I say very meaningful bird-watching days. And traces of that experience are scattered throughout the work. When I complete the work, you’ll notice small signs and symbols of birds woven into different parts of the composition. Certainly, that just tells you how deeply that time influenced me.

Although circles have always carried meaning in my work, in this particular piece, they began to take on new significance. They became symbols of protection, a safe space, a place of belonging—a circle of friends, a circle of delight versus a circle of fear.

Watching the birds, I saw how they circled above before feeling safe enough to descend. I observed how a mother bird would scan her surroundings before calling her mate to return. And I noticed, too, how the presence of danger would send them scattering into the sky in fright.

How do protection and safety look like?

For me, the circles in this piece embody that feeling of safety and joy—a space where you want to be, where you are held and protected. They are circles of delight. It’s more poignant in the times in which we live when the world seems to be spinning around in circles of chaos. It’s a natural desire to be shielded from the chaos and be cocooned in circles of delight, protection, and safety. I think that’s the direction this piece is telling me it wants to go. To focus on the circles as symbols of protection.

Yes, danger lurked right outside the confines of the nest. There were humans, prey, all sorts of danger. But inside the nest, it was a safe space; dare I say, a place of joy and delight.

But that’s not all there is to say. There’s something deeper going on here. I still haven’t figured out why circles love to make an appearance in my work. The circle has been such an enduring shape in my work for a very long time, and I want to understand why. That’s my next exploration—so stay tuned as I dig deeper into the meaning behind this recurring motif.

Till next time,