Dutybound/Serenity Prayer: This series is inspired by something similar the Serenity Prayer. In the Bhagavad Gita, one of the major books of Hinduism, there is a line advising that one does one’s duty within one’s control, without attachment to the results (“fruits”) of those actions that are outside of one’s control. The entire Sanskrit is, “Karmanyevadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana.” In this piece, the background is composed of mango fruit, blossoms, and leaves, as well as bees! Arguably the most important part of the piece are the bees. The composition is botanical; however, the grid is a 10-pointed star repeating into infinity, inspired by Islamic geometric patterns.
Goddess of Compassion (Rainbow Kintsugi Tara): Tara is a bodhisattva/goddess of compassion in Buddhism. There are many forms of Tara, some peaceful, some wrathful, sometimes in groups of nine or 21, in a kaleidoscope of different colors and attributes.
Two of the most popular forms are white and green; in her white form she is more calm and peaceful; in her green form, she is more active. In this collection, her posture with one leg seated and one leg poised to spring into action is in the traditional Green Tara iconography.
Her aureole made of hundreds of eyes references White Tara (who has eyes in her palms and soles, symbolizing her ability to see those suffering and come to their aid). The golden/metallic cracks in her aureole are inspired by the Japanese art of golden joinery (kintsugi), representing how we can repair and highlight cracks, breaks, or scars as representing resilience and strength. (See more about the Kintsugi collection here.)
The original paintings are one-of-a-kind of a limited edition series. They are 6-layer acrylic screenprinted painting with hand-applied metallic foil on hand-tinted paper, measuring 19" x 25" and handmade at Atlanta Printmakers Studio.
Kinstugi: In the art of kintsugi (金継ぎ or "golden joinery" in Japanese), broken ceramics aren't discarded, but rather repaired with a combination of lacquer and gold powder, highlighting the cracks and breaks and making the piece both food-safe and a new kind of beautiful.
Similarly, this collection highlights the idea that the difficulties we've faced in life haven't necessarily broken or devalued us, but rather have hopefully strengthened our character, experience, and compassion, and have hopefully made us better people.
Further, with some kinds of modern epoxies, it's possible that the repair becomes even stronger than the original material!
Openhearted Heart Hands: "Openhearted" is based on an original ink and charcoal drawing made in a monochrome engraved style, replicating the same "heart hands" gesture as in the emoji. 🫶
How to Metabolize Poison: What do you do in life if you've been poisoned? What if you can't avoid it or vomit it out; you have to absorb it somehow? How do you metabolize it so that it doesn't destroy you, and also doesn't corrupt you such that you harm others?
In Hindu mythology, the god of destruction Shiva saves all of creation by swallowing poison that threatened the entire universe. In some tellings, his wife Parvati squeezes his throat to ensure the poison doesn't destroy him. He is strong enough to keep the poison lodged in his throat, turning his throat blue; however, in one telling of the story, he does feel dizzy for a while and rests in the lap of his wife, the goddess Parvati. Parvati doesn't get angry at him for his risky move; she doesn't reject him for his temporary vulnerability; she patiently waits for him to recover. Pallikondeswara (Telugu: పళ్ళికొండేశ్వర) Temple, in Andhra Pradesh, India, is probably the only temple in the world with this unusual iconography.
Deity of Equality (Ardhanarishvara): There is no one single color or gender for the divine in Hinduism, and this piece represents that kaleidoscopic inclusiveness, and can be displayed in either direction. The subject is derived from Ardhanarishvara, “The Lord-Who-is-Half-Woman,” the androgynous form of Parvati/Durga/Shakti/Kali and Shiva/Bhairava (etc). The format of this series is inspired by the layout of classic playing cards, and is also inspired by traditional “pattachitra” paintings from the Indian state of Odisha.
Accepting Loss (Sati and Shiva) Raspberry Gourmet Please Accept Cookie Samsara Zoetrope, Unicorn Sprint, Elephant Parade Oxygen Mask Tree Pose (Aerial Sequoia) Watch Yourself Mirror Shirt
