fbpx vie magazine subscribe button

Pathways to Inner Peace

By Jordan Staggs | Artwork by Margaret Biggs

For artist Margaret Biggs, nature, healing, and creativity are all wrapped into one mission to promote wellness in the viewers and collectors of her colorful oil paintings.

"Against the Sky," oil on canvas, 36 × 48 inches | By Margaret Biggs

Growing up exploring the banks of the Gulf of Mexico, the bays, and the bayous near Pensacola, Florida, gave Biggs an appreciation for the cathartic properties of the natural world. From an early age, she connected with the flora, waterways, and skies that brought her hope and inspiration. Today, as she splits her time between Pensacola and Portola Valley, California, she gets a broader variety of inspiration from the varying species of trees, flowers, and animals that roam in each location.

Also a passionate practitioner and, soon, instructor of meditation, Biggs says, “Mindfulness and meditation are pathways to inner peace.”

Biggs is halfway through her Mindfulness Meditation Teacher’s Certification Program taught by two of the great spiritual leaders of a generation, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. The two-year course aims to provide instructors with the tools to “teach awareness and compassion-based practices through understanding the principles underlying meditation, exploring the interface of meditation with Western psychology and cutting-edge science, developing teaching skills, and much more.”

"The Sound and the Silence," oil on canvas, 30 × 40 inches | By Margaret Biggs

Having experienced much emotional hardship throughout her life, Biggs explains that meditation and art, each stemming from the peacefulness she has found while immersed in the natural world, have helped her on her own healing journey. The energy she puts into her paintings must be palpable to those who view them, as well, because they have adorned the walls of medical facilities around the United States.

Healing a broken spirit isn’t easy, but it’s something Biggs wholeheartedly believes can be achieved through deep self-reflection, meditation, and mindfulness practices. Her Broken Shell series of paintings represents that journey by depicting different seashells that are cracked, weathered, and worn but no less beautiful.

"Broken Bonnet," oil on linen, 36 × 48 inches | By Margaret Biggs

“The Scotch bonnet is a species of shell found up and down the mid-Atlantic states of the US and along the Gulf shores of Florida,” Biggs says of her recent painting entitled Broken Bonnet. “The broken specimen I found has had a place of honor on my shell shelf for many years now. Little more than two inches long, the whorl that once housed a snail’s body has been completely removed, leaving the axis of this spiral shell visible. In this painting, the goodness within each of us is represented by the axis. At the core of the univalve shell, it often remains intact even when the shell has been badly broken. There is beauty in brokenness. None of us gets through life without suffering and pain. Unfortunately, it often takes painful events and challenges for us to finally turn away from the superficiality of today’s world and focus instead on our inner life.”

Biggs urges her audience to consider how they can live peacefully, let go of selfish desires, and find ways to practice mindfulness and service to others that will be mutually fulfilling. She poses the heartfelt question, “Though we may have been deeply hurt, are we willing to turn that pain into compassion?”

"Through the Trees," oil on linen, 48 × 36 inches | By Margaret Biggs

Another Broken Shell piece titled Against the Sky further shows the twists and shadows within the seashell’s inner valve. “The beautiful shapes of the shadows within the broken shell are not seen when the shell is fully intact,” Biggs explains in reference to this painting. “Often, it is the shadows in our lives that bring us to the point when we become ready to look deeply at ourselves, at our faults and foibles, and begin the healing process.”

She continues, “The broken seashells I paint are used as operating metaphors for the aging process we all must endure and the painful events that will inevitably come our way, should we be lucky enough to live a long life.”

Artist, poet, and philanthropist Margaret Biggs | Photo by Phillip Makselan

Also a poet, Biggs clearly has a way with words as she emphasizes the story behind each of her paintings and shares her innermost thoughts with the world. Her work is available through her website, with high-quality fine art prints available for those who might desire a piece that’s already sold or those who want a custom size for their space. In addition, her book of poetry, Visions, is available via Amazon. Biggs’s depictions of shells, coastal landscapes and icons, flora, water surfaces, and more offer a colorful yet serene addition to any home or commercial space.

— V —


Visit MargaretBiggs.com to learn more and browse original paintings, fine art prints, books, and more. You can also find Biggs on Instagram @margaretbiggsfineart. Margaret Biggs was a guest on VIE Speaks: Conversations with Heart & Soul podcast, where she discussed her healing journey in-depth with host Lisa Marie Burwell. Watch or listen to Episode #17, “Soul-Full Art That Heals,” at VIEmagazine.com/vie-speaks-conversations-with-heart-soul-podcast.



Read Responsibly

VIE Magazine September 2023 Jay Mercado
VIE Magazine - The Art & Design Issue November 2021
VIE Magazine January 2021 Special Commemorative Edition
VIE Magazine September 2020 Wanderlust Issue, Fancy Camps, The Idea Boutique
VIE Magazine August 2020 Art & Culture Issue, Nathan Alan Yoakum Art
VIE Magazine - Architecture & Design Issue - July 2020
VIE Magazine - Decor and Home Issue - June 2020
VIE Magazine May 2020 Entertainment Issue, Leslie Odom Jr
VIE Magazine - April 2020 Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine March 2020 The Fashion Edit, VONDOM, Alys Beach Fl, Digital Graffiti, Tres Chic, isidro dunbar Modern Interiors, Digital Graffiti Festival
VIE Magazine February 2020 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Travel Issue - January 2020 - Tanzania Safari Cover
VIE Magazine - Women's Issue - December 2019 - Tina Brown Cover
VIE NOV19 Goodness Issue
VIE Magazine, September 2019 Art & Culture Issue, Paul Hanninen
VIE Magazine - August 2019 - The Architecture and Design Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2019 - The Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - June 2019 - Fashion Edit
VIE Magazine - May 2019 - Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine - April 2019 - The Health & Wellness Issue
VIE Magazine - Special Entertainment Edition - March 2019
VIE Magazine February 2019 Luxury Homes & Technology Issue with Robbie Antonio of Revolution Precrafted
VIE Magazine - January 2019 - Southern Sophisticate Issue Cover
VIE Magazine - Special Anniversary Travel Edition - December 2018
VIE Magazine - The Goodness Issue - November 2018
VIE Magazine - The Art & Culture Issue - October 2018
VIE Magazine - Home & Garden Issue - September 2018
VIE Magazine - August 2018 Animal Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2018 Architecture & Design Issue - Subscribe to the magazine!
VIE Magazine - June 2018 Travel & Tech Issue
VIE Magazine - May 2018 Couture Issue
VIE Magazine - The Culinary Issue - April 2018 Cover - Chef James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst
VIE Magazine - The Entertainers Issue - March 2018
VIE Magazine - February 2018 Destination Travel Issue
VIE Magazine - January 2018 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine, The Sophisticate Issue, December 2017
VIE Magazine - November 2017 Art & Culture Issue
VIE Magazine - October 2017 Home & Garden Issue
VIE Magazine | September 2017 | The Stories and Storytellers Issue
VIE Magazine - The Adventure Issue - August 2017
VIE Magazine - July 2017 - Art & Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - The Voyager Issue - June 2017
VIE magazine 2017 March-April Cover South Walton Fashion Week
VIE Magazine - January/February 2017 - The Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Nov/Dec 2016 The Sophisticate Issue
christian siriano vie magazine september october 2016 vie magazine
the modern minimalist issue
Summertime!
the culinary and couture issue march april 2016 vie magazine
the voyager issue alys beach vie magazine january february 2016
cultural issue vie magazine november december 2015
home and garden issue vie magazine september october 2015
the art and style issue vie magazine july august 2015
the wedding issue 2015 May June vie magazine
the food and fashion issue vie magazine march april 2015
the travel issue vie magazine january february 2015
the music issue vie magazine 2014 november december
The Animal Issue vie magazine september october 2014
the home and garden issue vie magazine july august 2014
the wedding issue vie magazine may june 2014
emeril lagasse food and fashion vie magazine
the men's issue january february 2014
the music issue november december 2013 vie magazine
the home and garden issue 2013 october september
the wedding issue vie magazine july august 2013
the artist issue may june 2013 vie magazine
the food and fashion issue march april 2013
the men's issue january february 2013 vie magazine
The Holiday Issue
the love issue july august 2012
the all american summer may june 2012
the entertainment issue march april 2012
the fashion issue vie magazine winter 2011
the home and garden issue vie magazine fall 2011
the anniversary edition vie magazine summer 2011
the wedding issue vie magazine spring 2011
vie magazine the holiday issue 2010 Dec
vintage swimsuits vie magazine 2010 Fall
judith march designer vie magazine summer 2010
wedding giveaway vie magazine spring 2010
holiday gift guide vie magazine winter 2009
emarketing explosion vie magazine fall 2009
tribute to mother's day vie magazine summer 2009
james and robert redford vie magazine spring 2009
zz top vie magazine fall winter 2008
project dreams vie magazine new york fashion week
Sign-up for VIEmail

Sign up for VIEmail


X

A LIFESTYLE