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Posts Tagged ‘Hinduism’

Battling Selfishness

Posted in Biographical, Quote, tagged , , , , on September 10, 2014| 2 Comments »

They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing.

–Hindu Proverb

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"Brilliant Determination"

“Brilliant Determination”

I have given away or will be giving away several paintings recently at talks at the galleries that represent my work, including the painting shown here on the left at the Principle Gallery in Alexandria this coming Saturday.  I have described this as an act of gratitude towards the folks who have supported me so well through the years, buying my work and following its growth in the galleries and here online.  This is true, it is an act of gratitude but it also has more meaning than that for me.

It is a small act of giving that is part of a larger battle against the selfishness and meanness of spirit so evident in the world.  I am not exempt here.  I have been a selfish person in my life, probably more so than I would ever admit or know.  And I will probably be selfish in the future even though I try to avoid this pitfall.  But with each small act of giving, of parting with something that I could easily hold onto covetously, there is a lightening of my burden and my spirit.

Generosity forces down many of the meaner parts of myself and creates space within for those better parts to expand and show themselves.  It is an exhilarating feeling, a feeling of liberation from my baser self.  So much so that these events where I give away paintings have become the highlight of my working life.

I think that is why I take so much time and effort in choosing the painting to be given away.  I have to find that piece that I could easily hang onto for myself.  It has to make me twinge a bit, make me a little uncomfortable to give it away.  But once that decision has been made, the lightening begins and I am eager to see where the painting will find a new home.

So, if you can come to the talk on Saturday, know that if you win you are helping fight my battle against selfishness and bringing me great joy.  Even more so if the painting brings you some joy of your own.

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Brahman

Posted in Recent Paintings, tagged , , , on November 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a new painting that is on its way to California for my show, The Waking Moment,which opens December 1 at the the Just Looking Gallery in San Luis Obispo.   This   30″ by 40″ canvas has really stood out for me in the studio, catching my eye constantly.  There is just something essential in this piece for me, an indefinable sense of  being, as though there is some inner connection with  a greater power.  Perhaps that is why I call this painting Brahman.

Brahman is a Hindu term that describes the  ultimate goal as well as the Absolute.  It is not really what one might call God in the sense of Western religions.  Brahman is that which makes up the nature of everything, as the Upanishad  states:  Brahman is of the nature of truth, knowledge and infinity.  It is both the cause and effect of  all reality.

It truly is a hard thing to describe, given its scope in all things, in a short post by someone like me, one who is certainly unequipped to define such a power.  But there is something in this piece that, for me, has that nature of truth, knowledge and infinity.  It both humbles me and lifts me yet brings a sense calm over me, as though I am seeing one that has an understanding  and acceptance of this universal power.

This piece will give me pause for some time to come…

 

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