The Meaning Of Haven And Ocean

The light and the dark of life feed our human need to find safe harbour.

Jun 03, 2025

Mark Raynes Roberts

My late mother loved to say, “You must learn acceptance in life.” She certainly did, as her husband (my father) had an early death at 53 after a long illness. Their life together did not live up to their newlywed dreams. But she was stalwart and graceful in the acceptance of her fate.

Naturally, I was too young to understand or accept this when she first suggested it. Young people do not think of setbacks.

But as I age, I realize the wisdom of her words.

Acceptance isn’t failure. Rather, it’s the recognition of a situation as it is - and the wisdom to move on from it. If you learn to acknowledge, accept and leverage off of a disappointment, how can you have failed?

To understand, read on!

I’ve always been interested in communicating about human transcendence, the ‘dark and the light’, the positives and negatives of life.

In my Chester studio with a selection of the CUAN Haven + Ocean paintings currently on exhibition at The Lobby by Heaps Estrin, at 1120 Yonge Street, Toronto, until July 9th.

Over the years, many clients have commented on my perennial theme of the ‘dark and the light’ with regard to my crystal art and now my paintings. It’s a clear thread running throughout my work, but I can honestly say it’s rooted deep in subconscious expression.

My latest exhibition CUAN is a Scottish Gaelic word meaning “Haven and Ocean.” It resonates with me as it metaphorically expresses the challenges and storms we face in life combined with our quest to seek safe harbour and calm.

“The Spirit Of Lazarus” acrylic on canvas, 20” x 18” CUAN Haven + Ocean Collection

Humans have always been connected to the sea and the land for survival and comfort. These new works reflect the desire to find home amidst the wildness of the ocean. They depict the beauty of light and suggest a voyage of discovery.

I started this collection with the desire to break new ground by creating a fresh visual language. I have always been fascinated by how light shapes and frames our perception of the world. These abstract seascapes use light, textures and shapes in an emotional response to the perilous Atlantic environment.

“From Cape Breton And Beyond” Film Video: Part 1

The palette of colors I used evokes not only the surroundings of the raw coastlines and environment but also a sense of freedom and fluidity these vistas invite. All of these paintings were created from memory and the subconscious rather than through photographic material. I wanted greater freedom to allow for an authentic response that captures the changing movements and patterns of nature.

The introduction of charcoal marks on “A Dream Is All I Need” acrylic on canvas, 48” x 36”, invites a sense of ancient Gaelic history and the severe elements of the landscape.

Several of these paintings have previous iterations underneath almost like the layers of strata found in the geological wonders along the Nova Scotian coast. I aimed to capture the drama of the harsh wind and rain that cut deep scars into the granite rock; the changing blues of the ocean; and the grasses and sands at the shores. These are the things that connect us not only to the land and the sea but also to the soul.

“From Cape Breton And Beyond” Film Video: Part 2

As some of you know, our decision to move to Nova Scotia was partly influenced by the fact that we both had had a few health issues. It has been a revelation to live and breathe the sea air here for the past two years. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself that we had the foresight to make the change when we did. It has been life affirming in so many ways both in appreciation of natural beauty and in the community of generous people we have met. One simply can’t measure the good it has done for us in our overall wellness.

“Charting A New Course” Aspotogan, acrylic on canvas, 24” x 18” Private Collection

This is where acceptance of disappointment comes into the story.

As I mentioned at my opening vernissage, I retired from my crystal art practice at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020 due to having an essential tremor in my hands. My career of detailed hand engraving on glass and crystal sculptures was behind me. It was like a death to me - darkness of the soul. I had made my name through this work. I made my livelihood through this work. I had won awards and prestigious commissions.

In some ways, I was thankful I was able to hide this “death” under the restrictions of Covid. My studio had closed down. The world had ground to a halt. I mourned for a few weeks keeping the disappointment to myself (and even from Sarah for while) but then came the light!

I began to paint again, initially at home, and then en plein-air in Metis-sur-Mer, Quebec, where we summered at Sarah’s family cottage. It was an unforeseen blessing and a return to my first love. I had grown up drawing and painting, and it was at school I first realized I had some talent. But it was mid-way through that summer that I also had a heart attack while I was painting in St. Octave, and was whisked away by ambulance to Laval Hospital in Quebec City to have three stents fitted. There were further complications which I won’t bore you with now, but it gave me a wake up call on my own mortality.

Our friend Alexander Reford, Executive Director at the famed Jardins de Metis, had kindly invited me to hold an exhibition of my paintings the following year. But we then decided it might be best after my ordeal to wait until the Summer of 2022. Although I was feeling pretty fragile this invitation ignited my resolve artistically and so the RESTORATION Collection of forty impressionistic paintings was born, showcasing the Bas St. Laurent region and Gaspesie. Thanks to my designer guru friend Nathaniel Garcia, he also suggested a kick-off exhibition of RESTORATION in Toronto at his Arterial Gallery in Spring 2022.

Thank you to Cailey Heaps (bottom far right) and all of the Heaps Estrin Lobby curation team for a memorable CUAN Haven + Ocean opening vernissage. It was a wonderful event and great to see so many Toronto friends and a few Nova Scotian’s who traveled to attend.

The blessing of accepting change is immeasurable - to face the storm and ocean swells. Safe harbour is often closer than you think. I feel the CUAN collection has helped me grow as an artist, to be more fearless in trying new things. That’s what life is all about.