About "Althea's Castle"
There is much symbolism in “Althea’s Castle”. None of it was planned but rather emerged as the painting progressed. Some of the first elements to come out were the free-form colorful shapes in the lower left corner. They wrap around the bottom and left edges of the painting. These represent the joy of freedom…of living life the way we want to live it. Next came the shapes along the left center of the painting. These became abstract buildings. Notice the white building with stripes. This represents the point in time when a person learns they have cancer... the prison-like feeling of being trapped in ones body…of wondering with trepidation, what next? The buildings before and behind the white one represent the time before cancer. Rather whimsical, free. From the white building are pathways to a colorful castle. The pathways are ways to move forward. All are slightly uphill, challenging. There is a choice here, to move forward and take a challenging pathway or to stay in the “prison”. For those who take the challenge to move forward there is a castle full of dreams waiting to be realized. Supporting you is the strength and stability of the heavens (creamy white sky), the shining sun (above castle), the moon (crescent in far left building) the stars (in second castle tower from the left), and your friends and family (various colors in pathway). Which doorway will you go through? Which windows will you peer from? Will you climb the pink roofs? There are opportunities and options that never existed before, waiting for you. Will you choose to live life the way you want to live it? It was this challenging pathway that my spirited, spunky Grandma, Althea Schulenberg, choose. Each day she lived life to the fullest and even in days of pain, she filled those around her with love and laughter.
In loving memory of my Grandma.
