Nicola's Art Room

Highlight

2011-12-31T16:37:00.007-05:00

I found this shell on a nearby beach, well known for washing up beautifully formed conches. Conches are wonderful to hold. They also carry within their form the symphony of the ocean waves. Conches themselves can be blown (provided the tip isn't sealed), as they are in temples in India and around the world; their powerful sound can shift energies and remind us of our own inner strength and beauty.
This is an 11 by 14 inch oil on hardboard. May the sound of the conch be with you on your journey through 2012!

Separate

2011-12-11T12:06:00.009-05:00

"Although she was separate, she was in the company of inner wisdom, her old, constant friend."
This is a 20 by 28 inch oil painting, painted outdoors, in the alive company of woodland creatures (including this Blue Jay)! Have a great week! Thanks for stopping by. : )

More Watercolor Studies: Stripes!

2011-11-06T10:46:00.003-05:00

Have an inspiring, expansive week!

Whales!

2011-10-28T12:34:00.004-04:00

Soon it will be the annual Right Whale Festival in Jacksonville! This piece is a 6 by 12 inch watercolor on Arches cold pressed paper.

Fuel

2011-10-23T11:22:00.007-04:00

A violin sonata: fuel for the soul! This is a small 5 by 9 inch linocut.
Right now I am carving many faces of new blocks in progress, and feelings are awakening as carving process takes over. From Japanese print master, Munakata Shiko: "When the knife cuts into the wood, I am already separated from the underdrawing, and the board is brought to life...."
Here is one block in process. : )

Imperfection

2011-08-06T19:22:00.004-04:00

Imperfection is a signature of our humanness. Yet the less we dwell on our benign imperfections, the more space we have for inner contemplation.
In my painting, I have two red-bellied woodpeckers, with their almost-perfect, mesmerizing black and white wing design!
Have a great week! : )

Perpetual Motion

2011-07-25T09:07:00.010-04:00

In honor of our perennial north Atlantic dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, rays, and their ability to somehow remind us to live our lives expansively and with deep humility. This is a 12 by 12 inch linocut, carved outdoors. Have a great week!

Remedy

2011-07-02T20:47:00.018-04:00

Hanuman, the great monkey warrior of the epic Ramayana, travelled hundreds of miles to a certain mountain in the Himalayas. His mission was to find four special healing herbs. Now when he arrived, he became utterly confused: how could he possibly know which four were the ones? So Hanuman brought back the entire mountain! Rehearing this wonderful pastime is a remedy in itself!
Above is my small linocut of the Purple Coneflower called "Healing Herb."

And this is a 12 by 16 linocut, carved in reverse (click on image for easier reading)! Again, inspired by Namibian artist John Muafangejo. Have a great week!

From Beginner to Ancient

2011-05-06T14:58:00.004-04:00

So here in Florida, turtle nesting season is upon us. Ancient turtles, swimming vast distances, will leave the ocean for one night. They'll build their nests, release their eggs, and then leave as mysteriously as they arrived. The little ones will have to fend for themselves when their time comes. Just below the surface of our lives, we too shift and churn in mysterious ways, somehow guided within a wise framework of connections, epiphanies, and inner simplicity and trust that there is something far greater going on.
This 12 by 12 linocut was carved just a few hundred yards from the ocean. May the blessings of the ancients be with us as we continue on our course. Have a great week!

Morning Harmony

2011-04-04T09:43:00.013-04:00

This is my longest and narrowest completed piece yet, 13 by 24 inches. It's an embrace of the perpetual song, the orchestra of motion, we touch and feel every day.
One of my favorite woodcut artists is Munakata Shiko. His large pieces with beautiful titles (like "In Praise of Flower Hunting" and "Cherry Blossoms in Mist") are bold and unfathomly gentle black and white prints, reaching deep into the spirit. From Munakata directly, "The life of a woodblock print, in which I have placed my far-reaching spiritual belief, does not come from the life of the board itself; it is the mystery created through a single point and a single line."
Thank you for visiting and have a great week!

Cultivating Compassion

2011-03-21T09:49:00.008-04:00

This piece is a meditation on cultivating compassion. Sanskrit texts talk about two birds living within the tree of the body; one is the observer and the other is the enjoyer. When we turn toward our inner guide, we show compassion to ourselves. It's natural, then, to show compassion to others, both human and animals.
This is a large painting, and the seed of it came from this linocut I carved some time ago. Thanks for visiting!

Surrender: Traveling the Path of Many Hills

2011-01-31T20:20:00.010-05:00

Surrender as an expansive, ever-expanding and contracting field. Once one hill has been crossed, there is another to climb. All the walking, all the searching, it's all vital. This is a 12 by 12 inch linocut, carved outdoors and just printed. : )
Thanks for stopping by!

Resolutions

2011-01-02T11:55:00.011-05:00

This 8 by 10 block was carved in the spirit of the great Namibian/ South African linocut artist, John Muafangejo. Almost all his blocks included carved text, things like "Man of man who is very happy and enjoying with his art work" and "I wish you well" and "Thinking man" and "The ancient people had a long beard".
Welcome 2011, in the spirit of the internal revolution of the heart!
Thanks for stopping by! : )

Whales are Larger than Prehistoric Dinosaurs!

2010-12-03T13:16:00.006-05:00

The 2nd annual Northern Right Whale festival just happened here in North Florida! The festivities, overlooking the Jacksonville ocean, served to remind us the whales need our protection as they visit for the winter, calving in the warmer waters of the Southeast. My piece "Ocean Mandala" is inspired by the incredible people working to protect these huge, magnificent creatures. Did you know some species of whales existing today are *larger* that the prehistoric dinosaur?!
Thanks for visiting and have a whale of a week. ; )

You never know what you will find...

2010-08-15T12:46:00.009-04:00

You never know what you will find when you gaze into the night sky! (Or when you walk in forests, trek mountains, swim through streams, sleep on the bare earth...)
It's hard not to remember Chagall when there's flying musicians in a piece. So, from Chagall directly (1958): "Art, in general, is an act of faith. But sacred is the art created above interests such as glory, fame or any other material consideration."
Have a great week!
Ps. This is a 7 by 9 linocut, carved outdoors.

Giant

2010-07-03T20:01:00.012-04:00

This piece is one of my largest current linocut blocks—it is about 12 by 12 inches and needs to be hand printed with a huge, 100-year-old press. (Even with my smallest carving tool, I couldn't have done this one any smaller because of the circumference.)
It's a meditation on celebrating our present journey; with enough intention, we *can* cultivate a garden in our inner worlds. : )

And here on the east coast of Florida the turtles are back! My 5 by 7 inch watercolor study is a humble attempt to honor these truly expansive, ancient souls. Here is a turtle's fresh nest and trail we spotted recently, just after the mother returned to the sea after nesting and just as the turtle patrol volunteers arrived. I love the infinity trail she left!

Thanks for stopping by! : )

Bird Egg, Camera Walk and Haiku

2010-05-21T12:23:00.013-04:00

Many folk tales have "within-within" imagery. For example, Russian fairy tales often involve a journey where the hero or heroine needs to find a magical object enclosed within many layers of objects or even animals. Here is Koshchey speaking, from Alexsandr Afanas'ev's collection of Slavic tales, describing to the heroine where his "death" can be found: "My death is far away. In the sea there is an island, on that island stands an oak, under the oak a coffer is buried, in the coffer is a hare, in the hare is a duck, in the duck is an egg, and in the egg is my death." This is 8 by 10 linocut, just carved and printed.

Camera Walk pictures—a one-block, half-an-hour walk.

And first haiku of summer:

Cry of the catbird
calls me back to sadhana
in the heat of May.

Cocoon: to enclose protectively

2010-05-03T21:04:00.010-04:00

Protective layers and the mysterious metaphysical energies just below the surface!
This is a small 4 by 6 inch linocut, carved in moments of wonder and humility. : )

Ahead

2010-04-26T09:07:00.012-04:00

There is something liberating in carving a visual dream hermitage. ; )
This linocut is 8 by 10 inches, created outdoors on a glorious spring day. Hope you are having a great week!

Rescue

2010-03-26T21:44:00.005-04:00

In the devotional tradition (bhakti yoga), singing hymns and mantras is helpful and joyful. Bhaktivinoda Thakur, a 19th century scholar and yogi, composed many beautiful verses infused with poignant feelings. His poems often touch on the theme of entanglement in the material world.
Here is one of my favorite verses from his 24-stanza poem “Gopinath”: “”O Gopinath, after sitting down in the core of my heart and subduing my mind, please take me to You. In this way, the horrible dangers of this material world will disappear.”
My 8 by 10 linocut, just carved and printed, is called “Riding the Boat of Compassion.”
Have a great week!

Focused

2010-01-31T19:07:00.010-05:00

I think of the owl as a master of focus. This weekend I visited a couple of Great Horned owls, nesting in a public place, and they appeared mystically unmoved by all the din around them!
This is a 11 by 11 inch oil on hard board, featuring a Barn Owl.
Have a great week!

Renewal

2010-01-02T19:06:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone! Happy 2010!
Renewal as an organic thing, like the ripening of fruit. There really is an amazing, big plan, where the very best of us shines through. I wish you all the very best...with inspiration from the ancient seers. They remind us we are indeed something far greater and more sublime than physical and subtle matter.
This is an 8 by 10 oil. More to come in the new year!

Songs of the Right Whales

2009-11-24T19:50:00.013-05:00

On December 5, there is a celebration at the Jacksonville Sea Pavilion; the North Atlantic Right Whales are returning! They are coming back to calve and enjoy the gentle North Florida coastline. These graceful creatures are intriguingly mysterious; looking into their eyes, as they appear on film, gives me the sense I am meeting them face to face, soul to soul. "Songs of the Right Whales," a block print, is my humble attempt to honor them.
So, if you are in the area, pop by in person! Or, if you are far away, check out www.rightwhalefestival.org
Have a great and festive week! ; )

Flying

2009-10-11T11:23:00.003-04:00

Brown pelicans; hard to stop my heart soaring expansively when I see them (or even think about them!). This 6 by 9 inch linocut was carved outdoors yesterday at a local market, with pelicans flying over the ocean just a few hundred feet away. : )

Infinite

2009-09-21T15:05:00.008-04:00

Infinite (what a great word!). I recently heard an interview with a prominent scientist, and I was intrigued by his dislike of the thought of existing endlessly. I find the opposite; contemplating infinite existence gives deep, intuitive peace. My mandala is a 7 inch circle linocut, carved to celebrate! Thanks for stopping by. : )

Modify Vision

2009-08-03T09:25:00.006-04:00

This piece is inspired by a story I heard recently: a thoughtful teacher in an inner city environment gets her students to lie down for 20 minutes or so a day. They lie down outside and gaze up at the sky; its simple activity to nourish our inner core. My linocut is 12 by 12 inches. Thanks for stopping by!

Worn

2009-06-28T12:38:00.010-04:00

I carved this 7 by 9 inch linocut outdoors yesterday. And still today, there are villages where every household parades beautiful, flowing washing lines. Here, where most of us have a choice (we have driers), perhaps beauty can be a trade off for the extra work. Have a great week! : )

Unfold

2009-06-14T17:50:00.007-04:00

I have a penchant for folk portraits. This piece was painted in that spirit. It is also a meditation on unfolding processes; sometimes things are hidden even to ourselves and we have to dig deep to learn something. An 8 by 10 oil on canvas, painted in two sessions. Have a great week!

Blessings for the New One

2009-05-23T19:59:00.012-04:00

Perhaps it is something about the unusual amount of rain we have been having recently, but today I went on a stamp-making marathon and I really couldn't stop. : ) Relative to linoleum and wood carving, using soft material like "Speedy-Cut" is, in the sense of speed, sketching. Have a great week!

Ratha Yatra Parade

2009-05-08T19:41:00.012-04:00

The famous Ratha Yatra festival takes place annually in Jagannatha Puri, Orissa, India. On this day, the Deity of Jagannatha rides on a chariot, surrounded by flowers and devotional chants. The English word "juggernaut" ("relentless, irresistible force") comes directly from the Sanskrit word "Jagannatha." I remember my intrigue whenever my father referred to anything as a "juggernaut."
So here is the original Jagannatha, encompassed by flowers and festivity. This is a 4 by 6 linocut, splashed with *live* watercolor! : )

Poised

2009-03-30T08:36:00.026-04:00

This 8 by 8 inch piece includes collage (using Japanese "Nori" glue), a handpulled block print (the bird), and watercolor. Canvas works well as a backing--no bubbles or warps. : ) I love the physical work of pasting the pieces together--Nori glue is *so* friendly!
A beautiful quote from The Nectar Glory of Sri Vrndavana: "I meditate on limitlessly beautiful Vrndavana forest, filled with limitless trees and vines, limitless deers and birds, limitless splendid groves, limitless charming lakes and streams, limitless jewel mountains, and the divine couple's limitless nectar pastimes." Have a great week!

Tree of Endless Branches

2009-03-09T13:49:00.011-04:00

An 9 by 12 inch linocut printed on beautiful Lokta paper, used for centuries in Nepal. Many great epics were recorded on this strong, yet delicate paper. May the traditions of the devotional ancients bless my humble printmaking attempts. Thanks for stopping by!

Instinct to Protect

2009-02-23T10:24:00.013-05:00

Emotions like the instinct to protect are often explained via genetics/ biological functions. I'm fascinated by the banyan tree analogy as described in ancient India's Bhagavad-gita. There it describes the tree of material existence as an upside-down banyan tree, a reflection of the real tree, and emotions can reflect something deeper than physical survival.
I carved this 4 by 6 inch piece last night, printed it this morning, and got carried away in photoshop a few minutes ago! Have a great week!

Once upon a time...

2009-02-08T10:32:00.004-05:00

The story behind this 4 by 6 inch linocut is really the *process*: carving, trying out ideas, and the usual joy of printing small pieces by hand. Perhaps the story of the woman and the bird reflects traditional tales of the hens laying golden eggs. I don't know. But it was carved outdoors, in a mood of celebrating the present moment.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Flawed

2009-02-03T08:35:00.001-05:00

I've wanted to carve another cat for quite a while now, so a topic like "flawed" was perfect for this piece. Carved last night, put together *early* this morning (I was inspired!).
However, the scenario above is not entirely impossible; try googling "how to pick a cat friendly bird" for intriguing suggestions!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week! : )

Climbing the Musical Scale

2009-01-24T17:04:00.000-05:00

A visual representation of the diatonic and chromatic scales are featured on the top left hand side of this 6 by 9 inch collage/linocut. I love hearing violin scales (especially when they are at a perfect pitch!), and when I went through a brief stint of attempting to play an instrument, I enjoyed the non-pressure of moving up a scale, faithfully following one note at a time.
Bird notes always soothe my heart. Here is a beautiful verse from a biography of the 15th century saint, Sri Caitanya: "Birds like the parrot and cuckoo all began to sing loudly on the fifth note, and the peacocks began to dance in front of the Sri Caitanya....the trees and creepers of Vṛndāvana became jubilant. Their twigs stood up, and they began to shed tears of ecstasy in the form of honey."
Thank you for visiting! :)

Contained

2009-01-12T19:53:00.001-05:00

Contained within our bodies, our cars, and our houses. I carved this house as a sketch/ study for a bigger piece. Then a few hours ago, it occurred to me to have fun and not be so serious about the process! So I played around with collage, my block print, and photoshop. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week! : )

A Metaphor for the Inner Path

2009-01-04T20:17:00.001-05:00

The image for this linocut came to me this afternoon, and I just couldn't wait to carve! So I worked away and here it is. Both the changing stream and the steadfast mountain are symbols for "resolve" (what a wonderful word!). Have a great week *and* a great year! : )

Voices of the Trees

2008-12-23T09:17:00.000-05:00

This is an 11 by 17 linocut. It is also a prayer for Mother Earth. May you all have a wonderful week! :)

Similar yet...

2008-12-06T23:35:00.001-05:00

Of course, from a distance, people can appear generic. Yet get a little closer (and if we could get really close, we could observe another's inner world), and our individuality and personhood is startlingly. These birds were carved in this spirit.
The linocut is 7 by 7 inches and splashed with Photoshop colors—something I resort to when black and white just doesn't seem enough! Thanks for stopping by! : )

From Vacant to Occupied

2008-11-03T19:54:00.003-05:00

A topic like "vacant" reminds me of clutter clearing (via feng shui or vastu) and the principle of clearing out to allow new ideas and energies in.
And so it can be in mental life: "emptiness" as something beautiful, a vacancy just prior to a flood of new movement and life.
So here is my 5 by 7 linocut, handprinted both on "empty" and "lively" paper. Actually, the "lively" paper is from a 1961 AA handbook with perfect-sized maps for explorative printmaking! Have a great week! :)

Late Submission: Heavenly Strings ; )

2008-10-19T22:36:00.000-04:00

My *late* submission to last week's IF topic: Strings!
Carved yesterday at a farmer's market and printed today on handmade paper. Have a great week! :)

Packed

2008-09-28T21:39:00.000-04:00

India's beautiful stalls and kiosks!
This is a 4 by 4 inch watercolor, painted with a very old, but faithful, set of paints. Thanks for stopping by! : )

Clique

2008-09-21T12:29:00.001-04:00

Here we have Owl and Pussy Cat "at one" with each other. Hopefully their oneness will fructify; hopefully they will deeply respect their inevitable differences.

This is an 7 by 9 inch linocut, hand printed printed today. It was carved mostly outdoors, in the warmth of a farmer's market. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Interconnected Memories

2008-09-01T18:49:00.001-04:00

"What I need is color, purity, and love." Marc Chagall

This is a 12 by 16 inch mixed media piece, created on Bristol board. Thanks for stopping by! : )

Detachment

2008-08-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

Even today, in certain parts of the world, it is still possible to come across true wandering mendicants, detached from home and comforts. My above portrait is Rupa Goswami, a 16th century renunciate, devotional poet, and philosopher who lived in the land of Vrndavana, India. This is a 4 by 6 inch linocut. Thanks for stopping by!

Flower Haiku

2008-08-14T21:00:00.001-04:00

Although there is no poem here, a simple block print, printed with a barren, feels the closest thing to haiku. Carved and printed today. :)

"The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat..."

2008-08-11T21:48:00.000-04:00

Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussycat" is one of the first poems I can remember. Words like "Bong-Tree" and "runcible spoons" left indelible marks in my memory!

This is an 8 by 10 inch oil, painted happily today! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Poof! And again become a mouse!

2008-08-04T23:23:00.000-04:00

There are a few "again become a mouse" stories. Here is this one from the Panchatantra: one day a sage was meditating in a holy river. Suddenly a mouse fell into his praying hands; a hawk above accidentally dropped the little thing. Now the sage's wife had always wanted a daughter, and the sage decided to change the mouse into a baby girl. His wife was delighted, and they all spent many joyous years together. When it came time to find their daughter a husband, the sage and his wife wanted only the best. First they approached the sun, yet their daughter refused to marry the sun for he was too hot. They then approached the wind, but she refused to marry him too. Finally, they approached the mountain, but she complained he was too dull. At this point the sage was desperate; so he asked the mountain what to do. The mountain considered the matter deeply, and, after some thought, recommended the lively mouse as a good match. The sage called for the king of mice, and the sage's daughter was delighted! Convinced this was her husband-to-be, she begged her father to change her into a mouse, which he did. The moral? Let a mouse be a mouse!

This is a 6 by 8 inch linocut, with color splashed on from Photoshop. Have a great week!

Fog over Ocean

2008-07-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

A topic like "foggy" is a great excuse to carve the ocean again! This is a 9.5 by 7.5 inch linocut, carved and printed today. Thanks for stopping by!

Young Woman with Lemon

2008-07-06T19:25:00.000-04:00

I've been intrigued with primitive/ naive portraits ever since I found paintings by naive artists as a teenager hunting through bookstores. So "Young Woman with Lemon" is a perfect opportunity to explore my intrigue! Painted today, 8 by 10 inch oil on canvas. Thanks for stopping by!!! : )

Moral Punchlines: “Without courage to face the unknown, no gain can be achieved.”

2008-06-16T20:27:00.001-04:00

From the Panchatantra, ancient India's animal tales with moral punchlines: One day Jackal was wandering the forest, searching for food. Suddenly he heard a booming noise growing louder and louder. Jackal shivered and crouched down into a hole in the forest floor. After hours of worrying, Jackal got up thoughtfully; after all, no one was around. "Let me be brave and see for myself what is making this eerie noise," he said. Peering over a large bush, Jackal laughed uncontrollably. What he saw was a banyan tree whipping the remains of an abandoned war drum. And near the drum lay a pile of delicious food. Jackal chuckled, "If I hadn't overcome my fear, I would have missed this marvelous dinner!"

An 8 by 8 inch linocut, carved and printed today. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Worry in Dreaming

2008-05-26T08:49:00.001-04:00

In this mixed media piece (13 x 15 inches), the dreaming figure is anguished; he is worrying he won't have enough money and is frantically searching the city for more. Fortunately, when we wake up from a worrying dream, we can contemplate other perspectives and even find deep solace from wise souls. Thanks for stopping by! : )

"The World is Broad and Wide"

2008-05-19T09:56:00.001-04:00

"Be patient, for the world is broad and wide." William Shakespeare

My "patchwork" landscape was painted in oils on an 8 by 8 inch canvas. Thanks for visiting! : )

Threading an Elephant through the Eye of a Needle

2008-05-05T14:36:00.001-04:00

The inspiration for my humble linocut is a wonderful story from the Vedas: One day Narada visited a cobbler. Now the cobbler was deeply devoted to the worship of Vishnu, the lord of creation. To the amazement of the cobbler, Narada mentioned he had just returned from a visit to Vishnu. The cobbler asked excitedly, "What was he doing?" Narada replied, "He was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle." The cobbler then picked up a seed and exclaimed, "Oh, that's not surprising! Inside this seed is an enormous tree, ready to come out at the right time. So of course He was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle!"

Thank you for visiting and have a great week!

Wise Woman

2008-04-27T18:58:00.001-04:00

The Mexican tale of a wise woman is the inspiration for my piece: she drew a bird on a cell wall (while she was wrongly imprisoned), climbed on the "bird," and then flew away. :)

With Primitive Portraits in Mind

2008-04-20T20:08:00.000-04:00

I am intrigued by naive/ primitive portraits and their (often) pensive expressions against dark backgrounds. With that in mind, I painted my piece on a 8 by 10 inch panel today, with folk art being my starting point. : )

Illustration Friday: Fail

2008-04-11T17:01:00.000-04:00

Here is "Instruction in the Night," an 11 by 11 inch linocut. The figure on the bottom left represents our wise voice--the voice that advocates detachment during failure, to not take it so personally. The three other human figures are not quite hearing yet; sometimes all we can do is endure a "dark night of the soul." Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

Illustration Friday: Save our Planet

2008-04-06T17:09:00.001-04:00

I recently heard an interesting biological observation: up to 100 species go extinct on our planet daily. This is mainly due to tropical deforestation but also affects other geographical areas. Here is my offering to all the wonderful creatures of the ocean, an 8.5 by 12 inch linocut.

Homage to Hanuman

2008-03-30T23:30:00.000-04:00

When I read the topic choice "Homage" on "Illustration Friday," I thought of Hanuman, the monkey warrior from the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. Hanuman is the embodiment of homage; he is the devoted servant of Lord Rama. In my humble 8 by 8 inch linocut, Hanuman is carrying the mountain of healing herbs to Laksmana, Rama's dear brother, who is lying, gravely wounded, on the battlefield. (Hanuman couldn't find the specific herb needed to revive Laksmana, so he lifted up the entire mountain!) Thanks for visiting and have a great week! :)

Peevish Toad

2008-03-23T21:09:00.000-04:00

Toad is irritable and here is the story. One day Toad spots Snake riding his horse. Snake isn't the most graceful of riders; after all, he is a snake, and he can't sit up straight for long or use two hands. So Toad gives Snake some hints. He even demonstrates personally just how to ride like an expert. After quite a show, Snake gets back on his horse. But Snake shows no improvement. At this point, Toad loses it. He curses and gripes, "What a stupid snake you are! If you can't ride as I have shown you, you might as well not ride at all!" But Snake trots off, oblivious to Toad's tirade, murmuring to himself, "That may be, but the point is, I am the owner of this horse, not you." This African folk tale is the inspiration for my piece "Peevish Toad," an 8 by 8 inch linocut.

Gajendra the Elephant

2008-03-15T18:14:00.001-04:00

Here is Gajendra the elephant. He is not only in a heavy body; he is in a heavy situation. The crocodile on the bottom right, being a creature of the water, is gradually overpowering Gajendra. Realizing his weak position, Gajendra offers eloquent prayers, and a lotus flower, to Lord Vishnu. This wonderful story is recorded in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the ancient text filled with melodious Sanskrit poetry and hymns. "Gajendra the Elephant" is an 11 by 11 inch linocut, printed on 80 lb Strathmore paper. Have a great week!

Morning Symphony

2008-03-12T15:06:00.001-04:00

Morning Symphony

2008-03-12T10:14:00.000-04:00

This week's "Illustration Friday" topic is "Garden." My linocut "Morning Symphony" reminds me of treks up the Drakensburg and the expansive, never-ending gardens of those African mountains. This print is 11 x 17 inches and is available at my Etsy store. Thank you for stopping by!

Nicola's Art Room

Highlight

Separate

More Watercolor Studies: Stripes!

Whales!

Fuel

Imperfection

Perpetual Motion

Remedy

From Beginner to Ancient

Morning Harmony

Cultivating Compassion

Surrender: Traveling the Path of Many Hills

Resolutions

Whales are Larger than Prehistoric Dinosaurs!

You never know what you will find...

Giant

Bird Egg, Camera Walk and Haiku

Cocoon: to enclose protectively

Ahead

Rescue

Focused

Renewal

Songs of the Right Whales

Flying

Infinite

Modify Vision

Worn

Unfold

Blessings for the New One

Ratha Yatra Parade

Poised

Tree of Endless Branches

Instinct to Protect

Once upon a time...

Flawed

Climbing the Musical Scale

Contained

A Metaphor for the Inner Path

Voices of the Trees

Similar yet...

From Vacant to Occupied

*Late* Submission: Heavenly Strings ; )

Packed

Clique

Interconnected Memories

Detachment

Flower Haiku

"The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat..."

Poof! And again become a mouse!

Fog over Ocean

Young Woman with Lemon

Moral Punchlines: “Without courage to face the unknown, no gain can be achieved.”

Worry in Dreaming

"The World is Broad and Wide"

Threading an Elephant through the Eye of a Needle

Wise Woman

With Primitive Portraits in Mind

Illustration Friday: Fail

Illustration Friday: Save our Planet

Homage to Hanuman

Peevish Toad

Gajendra the Elephant

Morning Symphony

Morning Symphony

Late Submission: Heavenly Strings ; )