Transformation from the Cold: How the Colors of the Arum Lily Found Their Way onto My Canvas

Greetings! Glad you're back in my alchemical corner.

Those who have followed my artistic work for a while know that it often arises from a very specific impulse, a gut feeling, or a visual longing that initiates the process. With this work, it was a pure desire for a very specific color dynamic: From the first second, I knew I wanted to work with deep blues and luminous turquoise this time. And I wanted a harsh, fiery contrast – a powerful orange that would literally break open this cool world.

As the first layers of paint flowed onto the canvas, I stood in the studio and felt that this visual tension demanded a very specific natural equivalent. I delved deep into my knowledge of Traditional European Medicine (TEM), and suddenly it was crystal clear to me which plant was taking shape here: The Arum Lily.

The Fever in the Deepest Shadow

In TEM, the arum lily (Arum maculatum) is one of the most fascinating phenomena of all. It grows in the cool, moist shade of our native deciduous forests – exactly this cool, almost mystical environment is reflected by the blue and turquoise tones on the canvas. Yet, in absolute contrast to its shady habitat, the arum lily possesses the incredible ability of thermogenesis. It can actively raise its temperature by up to 15°C above ambient temperature. It literally starts to “fever” in the cold forest floor!

The luminous orange, making its way through the picture in an unstoppable cross-composition, is precisely this breakthrough of warmth. It is the pure choleric principle (heat) meeting the phlegmatic principle (cooling moisture) and transforming the rigidity.

The Signature of Shedding

To bring this alchemical transformation not only in color but also haptically onto the canvas, I worked with Aquarylic and real snakeskin for this 40x40 cm mixed-media piece.

In traditional doctrine of signatures, we also call the arum lily "snake root." Its spotted leaves and creeping root point us directly to the theme of shedding. Medicinally, it was formerly used in TEM to radically release deep blockages in the body. It is a true "organizer of elements": If something is stuck in the system, the sharpness of the arum lily brings the flow back. The incorporated snakeskin in the painting is the haptic symbol for shedding the old, letting go of what blocks us.

For me, this painting is proof that our bodily fluids and nature speak the same language. Sometimes intuition chooses the colors first – and the ancient healing knowledge of TEM provides the perfect answer.

Have you ever discovered the arum lily in the cool forest floor and felt this transformative energy?

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below – I look forward to exchanging ideas with you here in our alchemical corner!

All the best,

Marie-Louise