In the heart of the summer of 2023, we had the privilege of traversing wild lands and reaching the shores of Grand Prismatic Lake, a jewel of Yellowstone National Park. This thermal lake, the largest in the United States and the third largest in the world, revealed to me a spectacle of color rivaling any rainbow in the sky. But what does it really mean to look at this natural wonder not just with your eyes, but with your soul?
Imagine the cosmic blue, so deep and intense that it seems to hold the secrets of the universe. Now add layers of emerald green, sulphurous yellow and bright orange, all in perfect harmony. It’s like looking through a kaleidoscope straight into the heart of the Earth. Grand Prismatic isn’t just a surface beauty – it’s a window into life itself, hosting archaea – the oldest known life forms, survivors of extreme conditions.
I talked about these archaic extremophile organisms to my students in the classroom. But to stand there on the edge of this ancient lake, to see with your own eyes what words only superficially touch, is a transformative experience. It is a silent dialogue between you and millions of years of living history, an exchange of knowledge that transcends language.
As I climbed to the heights overlooking the lake, I was greeted by a panorama that quickened my pulse. Looking down, I saw the colours of the rainbow stretching out below me, a vivid mosaic that changed with the passing of the sun and clouds. I felt pure emotion, a deep gratitude for every moment spent in this sacred place of nature.
This picture of life, seen from the heights, speaks to you not only of the beauty of the Earth, but also of our own inner beauty and the eternal connection we share with all life. What lessons do these colours offer us? How do they change our perception of the world and our place in it?
When I ended my journey, the palette of colours that danced before my eyes did not fade as I left. Instead, every hue, every reflection of light and shadow stayed with me, embedded in my memory. It was inevitable that this experience would turn into more than a mere recollection; it became the inspiration for a painting I created as an extension of my impressions.