Q: What is the main inspiration behind this painting

A: This painting was born from a personal moment of spiritual conflict, transformation, and awakening. It’s not just a picture — it’s a map of invisible experiences: fear, strength, pain, beauty, and inner clarity. It holds layers of emotions I couldn’t express in words — so I painted them.

Q: What does the title mean

A: The Lion’s Secret Map of Ash and Gold refers to an internal journey. The lion symbolizes strength and truth. The ash represents pain, loss, and past struggles. The gold stands for wisdom and spiritual value gained through experience. The map is a symbolic path hidden in those layers — not geographic, but emotional and spiritual.

Q: Where is the lion in the painting

A: There are multiple views of the lion embedded in the abstract texture, from different angles. These forms don’t appear all at once — they emerge subtly depending on how you look at the painting. This is part of what I call a 7D painting (seven-dimensional), where the lion reveals itself through emotional and visual shifts from various perspectives.

Q: What is a 7D painting

A: A 7D painting is a term I created for artworks that reveal multiple dimensional views within a single surface — not through optical illusion, but through symbolic positioning, emotional interpretation, and shifting viewer perception. In this painting, seven perspectives of the lion are embedded in layers of gold, ash, and markings.

Q: Is there a hidden story inside this painting

A: Yes. The story is embedded in symbolic stages:

Surface → Ash → Gold → Lion → Spirit → Map.

It begins with surface confusion and chaos. Then a lion slowly emerges from that texture — not from gold alone, but from a mix of ash, lines, and energy. The gold only appears after the struggle. The spiritual “map” is revealed last — only through close observation and inner feeling.

Q: What materials were used

A: The painting was created using acrylic, metallic gold acrylic paint (not real gold), and textured joint compound. I used a mix of tools — palette knives, fingers, and brushes — to keep the raw emotional energy visible on the surface. The piece is sealed with a gloss varnish to preserve the detail and texture.

Q: Why ash and gold

A: These are the two most powerful symbols in the painting:

• Ash stands for loss, failure, and everything burned in your past.

• Gold stands for the value you gain from that — not wealth, but something spiritual.

Together, they tell the story of destruction and rebirth.

Q: How long did it take to complete

A: The painting was created over several intense days, but the vision behind it lived inside me for years. The process was deeply intuitive and emotional — more about feeling than planning.

Q: Why do people see different things in the map

A: Because it’s not a traditional map — it’s formed through movement, ash, and gold. Some people see the front face first. Others see it in profile. Some notice the eye or feel a presence without seeing anything literal. That’s intentional — the painting responds to your state of mind.

Q: Is it abstract or symbolic

A: It’s both. It’s abstract in style — but symbolic in meaning. Everything has a reason: every crack, mark, and color was placed intuitively but carries deep emotional weight. It’s meant to speak to the viewer’s inner life, not just their eyes.

Q: Is this painting spiritual?

A: Yes — this painting is deeply spiritual. I didn’t plan it as a religious piece, but as I worked, something came through that felt larger than me. Many people feel something in their heart when they look at it. That’s not something I added — it’s something that revealed itself.

Q: Is there something hidden in this painting?

A: Yes. If you spend time with it, you’ll notice shapes, markings, and figures that aren’t visible at first glance. I created it with layers — some things are hidden under the ash and gold. There’s always more to see than what appears at first.

Q: Is this a Flow-Form Painting?

A: This painting began with traditional techniques. But at a certain point, I discovered a new approach — a way of letting the paint flow intuitively. That moment shaped part of this piece. From that discovery, I developed my own method called Flow-Form Painting🦁.

Q: What kind of story is in this painting?

A: It’s not a written story — it’s a visual, emotional one. You could say it’s part map, part memory, part dream. It’s about a journey of silence, struggle, awakening, and vision. The lion is the guide, but the story belongs to you, too.

Q: What inspired you to paint this?

A:  didn’t paint it because I had an idea. I painted it because something inside me needed to come out. I’ve lived with these shapes and images for years — not knowing exactly what they meant. This painting helped me understand them.

Q: Is this painting part of a series?

A: Yes. This is the master painting. Every symbolic piece I create after this is part of the same story — like episodes that expand the map. Each one will relate back to this original.

Q: Are you planning to create more symbolic paintings in the future?

A: Yes — I’m continuing to create symbolic paintings.

Q: How did you start painting the lion?

A: Yes — I already had the idea to bring a lion into the painting, but not in a traditional way. I wanted the lion to emerge from the surface itself — from the lake-like textures, the map lines, the moon shape, and the hidden marks. That was one of the most difficult challenges for me. The lion had to appear through the painting, not just on it. I wanted it to rise from the story, not sit on top of it.

Q: When did you start and complete the painting The Lion’s Secret Map of Ash and Gold?

A: I began working on the painting on June 13, The painting was completed on July 8, and I officially signed it on July 11.

Q: Are there hidden symbols in your painting beyond the main nine?

A: Beyond the nine main symbols, the painting quietly holds many hidden, supporting signs woven deep into its background — like the moon, steadfast and watchful, silently overseeing the unfolding story; the sun resting behind distant mountains; and other secret symbols waiting to be found. Some of these symbols can only be seen from certain angles, specific lighting conditions, or particular distances, inviting viewers to explore the painting from multiple perspectives. When you capture a photo and turn it, new backgrounds and symbols come to life, unveiling layers of the story that remain softly cloaked in mystery. I know each hidden symbol intimately, having woven them intentionally into the work. And beyond even these, miraculous symbols emerged spontaneously through the creative process itself — lending the painting a deeper magic and wonder.

— Roy Shaa