Emerald Revery

 Next in my Magic City series and part of an ongoing exploration of themes in the White Lotus Sutra.

Here is a green oasis where travellers rest before continuing the journey.

From the Archive - Bodhisattva and Lotus (with Skull)

 This is a large oil painting (122 x 122cm) painted in 1999. In its presence I start to drown in the rich warm colour field and the sensuous quality of the paint. I enjoy the subtleties of the colour shifts some of which is lost in the photographed image.The image combines elements from different Buddhist icons.  The hand holding up the lotus comes from an Amitabha sadhana. The peacock feathers are a reference to Amitabha's peacocks which support his throne. The skull references the skull cup filled with the red nectar of great bliss which is held by Padmasambhava and by wisdom dakinis in their dance.

Green Goddesses with Blessings

 A current theme exploring the Green Goddess.

For me she is a symbol of Gaia, Tara, and all female deities of life and love.

She is the wish for the fecundity of our planet. 

She receives blessings from the universe and offers them to all.

Abstraction into Landscape Part 2

More images made with granulating watercolours.

Abstract forms become elemental landscapes. 

Abstraction into Landscape

Playing with granulating watercolours to make abstract images which veer into landscape. 

Offering Goddesses

 When feeling whimsical I have been creating characters to represent the offering goddesses of the Buddhist tradition.

Gandha offers perfume to Buddha Amoghasiddhi

Dhupa offers incense to Buddha Ratnasambhava

Pushpa offers flowers to Buddha Akshobya

Aloka offers light to Buddha Amitabha

From the archive - Blanchisseuse Bay

 I am back on track with the idea of occasionally posting old work from my archive.

Browsing an old sketchbook I came across this little watercolour study. I painted this whilst hanging out in Blanchisseuse Bay, Trinidad decades ago.

It  brings back memories of Caribbean adventures and a memory of a magical spot.

Green Princess

 Whimsy from my sketchbook playing with watercolours

Out of the dark

 Two sketches of wood spirits coming out of the woods.  Dryads?

Elemental Sprites

 My take on offering goddesses - more to come - 

two elemental sprites with offerings 

I used earth pigments - watercolour on paper

Chod Dancer

A watercolour study of a Chod Dancer. 

I enjoyed the granulation of the earth colours which added to the atmospheric effects

Night Peacock

 I painted a peacock on black paper using metallic watercolour.  It did not photograph well.  I tweaked the photograph as best I could using various filters, then copied it into the Brushes App and played with the image digitally, using various digital brushes and colours until I had an image I was satisfied with.