‘Wonderland’ a is the first image from the original:

WONDERLAND...THE JOURNEY BEGINS

a painting by Richard Lorenz

In a world so full of distraction and distortion, it is difficult to remember why we are here...even perhaps...who we are.

'Wonderland...the journey begins' was created as a reminder.  A reminder that we are all on the same journey...to find our way.  This painting is my homage to the timeless classical tail written by Lewis Caroll in 1865...'Alice in Wonderland'.  The message(s) is as relevant today as it was then.  Indeed, the message is exceptionally more meaningful today than we could ever imagine.

Our world is immensely crowded with busyness of all kinds.  It seems to be the most difficult thing these days, especially for young people...of all ages, to find the real YOU...the person buried beneath the turmoil of this world.  Our society seems hell bent on determining who you are through whatever means possible:  TV, radio, social media, Internet, music, peer pressure, social, Geo-political, gender, work, religion, ethnic propaganda...and the list goes on.  We are so continuously bombarded  about how we should act, look like, sound like, what we should eat, how we should dress...indeed...who we should be, that we may have totally forgotten (or have never known) who we are!

When do we ever stop, and listen to our still beating heart?...Who am I?...Why am I here?

This painting is a visual representation of the journey we are all on.  The journey becomes 'real' on the day we realize how 'stuck in the mud' we are... existing from day to day in the swamp of complacency.  That day of awareness...that moment when we realize we are lost and have, in fact, forgotten who we are...that is the moment... when the real journey begins.

Remain clear, ever forward, until your vision is realized.  When you reach the summit and have found your finest self, remember that this journey is a balancing act.  Find your courage, Hope, and humility. It's your time...to wear the hat.

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