The Golden Paladins – Neo-Spiritual Art
What if you planted a seed and it grew for thousands of years?
The Artist, Gerald Zwers, held the light close to the face of the sculpture and examined it contemplatively. “Hmmm…” he thought to himself, “…what do I call you?” He looked around the room. Over the past year, almost without pause, he had prolifically created one thousand sculptures. His creations now fill his studio shelves, floor to ceiling. Gerald stood and stretched. It felt good as he realized it had been hours since he even looked up. He reached over and pulled a dictionary off the shelf and zeroed in on the word Paladin.
Pal.a.din noun
1) A heroic champion of a noble cause
2) The defender of a good and worthy purpose
He shuts the cloth-bound book and affirms with a smile, “Yes, Golden Paladins!” Gerald closes his eyes for a brief respite and thinks about how it all started.
The Artist, Gerald Zwers, held the light close to the face of the sculpture and examined it contemplatively. “Hmmm…” he thought to himself, “…what do I call you?” He looked around the room. Over the past year, almost without pause, he had prolifically created one thousand sculptures. His creations now fill his studio shelves, floor to ceiling. Gerald stood and stretched. It felt good as he realized it had been hours since he even looked up. He reached over and pulled a dictionary off the shelf and zeroed in on the word Paladin.
Pal.a.din noun
1) A heroic champion of a noble cause
2) The defender of a good and worthy purpose
He shuts the cloth-bound book and affirms with a smile, “Yes, Golden Paladins!” Gerald closes his eyes for a brief respite and thinks about how it all started.
It was a year ago when Gerald read an article on the Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors. The Chinese emperor, Emperor Qin had enslaved hundreds of thousands of workers to build sculptures of soldiers. When he died, Emperor Qin was buried amongst the Terra Cotta Warriors so that they would accompany and protect him into the next life.
Gerald was struck by the fact that the Emperor had endless resources at his disposal and because of his fear he squandered these bountiful resources to create warriors. Gerald thought to himself, “If I could create a world from scratch, a perfect world, who would I bring into it?”
Gerald was struck by the fact that the Emperor had endless resources at his disposal and because of his fear he squandered these bountiful resources to create warriors. Gerald thought to himself, “If I could create a world from scratch, a perfect world, who would I bring into it?”
Like a lightning bolt, an idea struck Gerald instantaneously.
Gerald concluded his ideal world would be filled with enlightened ones, sages and teachers, guardians and listeners, artists and philosophers, those who were willing to put the greater good ahead of their own needs. These beings would plant seeds of goodness, that would continue to grow and blossom and that would provoke the ultimate legacy of kindness and love for thousands of years.
Gerald created The Golden Paladins as families. Each family represents acts and beings of goodness in the world. The families’ have title such as The Spreader of Joy, The Inventor of New Things, The Burden Carriers, etc. There are over 100 families currently that have been created, however with so much goodness and wonder in the world, Gerald feels he has just scratched the surface of possibilities.
The first rays of the morning sun peak through the studio window jarring Gerald from his thoughts, he squints as his eyes adjust to the light. “Morning already? Where does the time go?” Like most days throughout the past year, he worked through the night, not viewing it as a chore, but with pure joy and elation – it is a genuine pleasure for him to sculpt these amazing beings. The ideas and inspirations are infinite. Sleep is not even a craving; creating inspirations to contribute compassion and integrity is.
He throws on his coat and takes a brisk two-block walk to the beach. The sun is a sliver above the waves and only a few surfers, homeless guys and seagulls are up this early.
Gerald throws a pebble into the ocean and watches the expanding rings emerge from their core. One simple point of action ripples outward reaching every shore. This visual display reaffirms what has been on his mind for some time – all of our actions have layering effects that last forever. We can either choose to act in a way that benefits others and entities of the Earth or that hurt them. Emperor Qin breed fear into his people and killed those who sacrificed their lives to build warrior statues for only his benefit. “If I was to sow seeds and they grew for thousands of years, what would I choose to grow?” Gerald contemplates.
Gerald created The Golden Paladins as families. Each family represents acts and beings of goodness in the world. The families’ have title such as The Spreader of Joy, The Inventor of New Things, The Burden Carriers, etc. There are over 100 families currently that have been created, however with so much goodness and wonder in the world, Gerald feels he has just scratched the surface of possibilities.
The first rays of the morning sun peak through the studio window jarring Gerald from his thoughts, he squints as his eyes adjust to the light. “Morning already? Where does the time go?” Like most days throughout the past year, he worked through the night, not viewing it as a chore, but with pure joy and elation – it is a genuine pleasure for him to sculpt these amazing beings. The ideas and inspirations are infinite. Sleep is not even a craving; creating inspirations to contribute compassion and integrity is.
He throws on his coat and takes a brisk two-block walk to the beach. The sun is a sliver above the waves and only a few surfers, homeless guys and seagulls are up this early.
Gerald throws a pebble into the ocean and watches the expanding rings emerge from their core. One simple point of action ripples outward reaching every shore. This visual display reaffirms what has been on his mind for some time – all of our actions have layering effects that last forever. We can either choose to act in a way that benefits others and entities of the Earth or that hurt them. Emperor Qin breed fear into his people and killed those who sacrificed their lives to build warrior statues for only his benefit. “If I was to sow seeds and they grew for thousands of years, what would I choose to grow?” Gerald contemplates.
“If I was to sow seeds and they grew for thousands of years,
what would I choose to grow?”
This pre-dawn moment of the day is Gerald’s most creative time; the air and his head are clear from the day’s distractions.
Rumbling around in his mind this morning is his sculpture, The Builder of Rainbows. Gerald remembers years ago, when working as a machinist, he and his workmates switched off all of the noisy equipment in their workshop to stare, in awe, at a full circle rainbow. Their shared 20 minutes of peace inspired him to create a family of Builders of Rainbows.
Gerald shoved his hands in his pockets to keep warm. He watched his breath rise in the cool morning air. A lone seagull dives for a fish. Gerald turns and walks briskly back to his studio. He now knows how he will create the Builders of Rainbows and he’s excited to get started.
On the short walk back Gerald reflects on a event he and his sister attended ,called A Call to Conscious Evolution at UCLA. Over 50 inspirational, evolutionary leaders, including Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Jack Canfield and Gregg Braden, met together on one stage to encourage all, through action, to make the Earth a better place. Building a global community, ecological balance, health and healing, peace – these were just some of the empowering messages he heard.
At the end of the event, Gerald raced back to his studio, eager to be in that imaginative environment where he had spent so many hours and days that past year. He smiled to himself as a noble being surfaced, a soul who calls on all of us to unite and live our lives to benefit others. This sculpture arose into a family of Evolutionary Leaders.
Gerald thinks about his long, artistic journey. It is one thing to execute sculpture correctly, in a technical sense, but without soul or an intention to positively impact some facet of life, is it really art? To Gerald his art is full of his soul with the intention of touching the souls of others.
The evidence that he is hitting a cord with the public comes to him daily, through emails, letters, visitors and phone calls. Even in it’s early stages, the Golden Paladins are resonating with people. Individuals from a wide variety of cultures, religion, race, age and ideology have responded personally and positively to the sculptures. The Golden Paladins have hit a universal cord or understanding with so many people. Each comments that they see themselves, or often who they want to be, in these images. From Gerald’s 15 year-old, skate boarding nephew to the yogi sage, to the university professor, to the bouncer at the nightclub across from his studio to the software engineer. From India to Canada to South America to China – globally people are responding with great passion for the Golden Paladins.
Gerald hopes that his Golden Paladins will sow the seeds of goodness in others so they ask themselves “Who would I be in a perfect world?” “Who can I be in THIS world?” He has realized that we all have a choice and opportunity to do ultimate good - we all have talents and can fill our own noble niche.
Maybe you will help an impoverished child or a lonely friend. Perhaps you will become an evolutionary leader or an inventor of new things. What legacy will you leave?
What seed will you sow that will grow for thousands of years?
www.goldenpaladins.com
Gerald hopes that his Golden Paladins will sow the seeds of goodness in others so they ask themselves “Who would I be in a perfect world?” “Who can I be in THIS world?” He has realized that we all have a choice and opportunity to do ultimate good - we all have talents and can fill our own noble niche.
Maybe you will help an impoverished child or a lonely friend. Perhaps you will become an evolutionary leader or an inventor of new things. What legacy will you leave?
What seed will you sow that will grow for thousands of years?
www.goldenpaladins.com
