Small abstract paintings evolving with meditations on the Green Tara

 I am a Buddhist and as a Buddhist, I know that meditation can take many forms. Each of these paintings is a meditation. When I am painting, I am totally focused on and involved in the process, completely unaware of anything outside of this process. When the painting is finished, I am surprised by the finished painting and do not remember the process. Since I have been painting again, I believe I am becoming more aware, and happier. I believe that this is my path towards enlightenment

 

Before I enter the studio I give homage to the Green Tara by chanting her Mantra 108 times, then I sit quietly and meditate for about an hour. After that, it's off to the studio for 3/4 hours

 

Psychologists call this state "Flow". They describe the same state of total involvement.

 

Those who know me know that I have Parkinson's. I thought painting was over for me and stopped for 15 years but I stilled dreamed about painting. When I moved to Port Alice, a quiet village on Vancouver Island, the need to paint became overwhelming.

 

Throughout my whole life, paintings were coming into my head and I had to find a way to paint them. This has happened to me most of my life but since I had ignored these promptings for 15 years they became intense. Fortunately, I found a way to make them material.

 

These works are all executed on 12 x 16-inch, acid-free, cotton, watercolor paper, 140 lb. weight. The media is acrylic and sometimes ink. They are as you can see, small abstract paintings

 

I don't believe that paintings need a huge dialogue around them. Either they touch you or they don't. so this is all I have for an artist's statement.