Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise Flower)

With little time left these days to paint (and even less time to come up with ideas to paint), inspiration has become a luxury. So instead of wasting precious time on subject matter conceptualization, I looked to Swetha’s most recent post TRANSITION: A JOURNAL / PART THREE for inspiration.

Finding inspiration in her post wasn’t hard. Her multitude of drawings/entries reminded me to “just do it.” Analysis paralysis is real, and something I am learning to let go of. Looking at all her drawings/entries inspired me to just create (instead of getting hung up on developing a perfect concept or composition).

This is painting of a Bird of Paradise flower or Strelitzia.

Enjoy!

Lovers

I like love. It’s an interesting concept. Relationships are also very interesting. I’m especially intrigued by the concept of partner selection and monogamy.

For example, some people choose as a partner and up marrying someone from their own hometown without ever having lived in another city, state, or country. Compatibility is one facet of partner selection, which can be defined as shared set of mutual and/or complementary lifestyles, values, or interests.

Based on that very specific criteria, isn’t it kind of absurd to think that the person selected in your hometown is the most compatible individual for you (since it’s a matter of probability: less people you’re exposed to = less pool of potential compatible individuals)? One might argue that absolute compatibility isn’t the goal, but isn’t getting along a very crucial element to relationship success? Maybe it’s my assumption that compatibility equates to getting along, but it seems like people who share something have a vested interest in it and may be more inclined to protect it. Therefore, the more you have in common the more you will likely get along.

I find myself playing out these mental exercises from time to time. Love is an amazing topic to try to deconstruct because there are so many variables to consider. However, the above painting is not a meta analysis of love. It’s just my rendering of two images I found online, which I believe to be medieval in nature (I could be wrong). I felt the concept embodied the light pillowy feeling of love coupled with the stern seriousness of commitment, which is my perception of what relationships are.

Three Graces

There are three goddesses in Greek mythology known as the Graces. They generally represented grace, charm and beauty (alongside other attributes). Aglaia represented elegance, brightness and splendor.Thalia represented youth, beauty and good cheer. Euphrosyne represented mirth and/or joyfulness.

I’m finding that my daily meditation practice is allowing me to live in the moment more and to let go of a lot of overly unnecessary thinking. This has had a profound effect on my art. It’s easier to come up with ideas to paint these days. And although 99.9% of them never turn out the way I planned, I’m o.k. with that and look forward to creating the next batch. This painting represents my interpretation of the Three Graces.

Nothing Personal

I created this image back in 2012. I actually saw this on a t-shirt shortly thereafter, which I thought was quite amusing. Obviously, I am not that creative.

But what this shows me is that I have grown tremendously since then. Through volunteerism, yoga, reading, and meditation I’ve learned how to combat old toxic thought processes. One example is of not taking things personally.

There will always be a group of people who will be agreeable and like you. Transversely, you cannot aim to please everyone so there will inevitably be individuals out there that dislike like you. If you place any value on what either group thinks, then you’ll always be at the mercy of their whims. If a given individual wins the lottery, chances are they will be ecstatic, elated, and enthusiastic when interacting with you. However, if that same individual happens to get suspended from work, loses their job, or gets dumped, most likely they will be in a less personable mood and may even project their feelings of frustration or loss onto you. By not taking things personally, you float on a feeling of independence that doesn’t cater to the fluctuations of those around you. It’s tremendously liberating and smirk-inducing.

On that note, I’m leaving for Los Angeles on Saturday. In the fashion of not taking things personally, I’ve had to say goodbye to people (good and bad) who were once a part of my life. People and relationships grow, and what was good for you yesterday may not be so good for you today. But that’s nothing to cry about, if and only you learn to not take things personally.

Marcus Aurelius – Fractured Bust

Here’s a new painting of mine. It’s a bust of Marcus Aurelius. Since his book ‘Meditations’ has had such a profound influence on me, I felt compelled to create a visual reminder of his imagery to hang in my apartment. His gaze embodies what I believe to be the essence of stoicism, which is an unflinching approach to all external events. Things are what they are, and the only thing we can control is our interpretation of events.

I chose to paint a camouflage background for two reasons. Primarily, it symbolizes Marcus Aurelius’ military background and resonates with the concept of Roman stoicism (which is a practical application of the philosophy akin to a defensive military tactic). Secondarily, I am huge fan of Andy Warhol. He had a camouflage collection which was a series or prints that took the standard pattern and infused them with his signature color palette.

Marcus Aurelius will continue to be an influence in my artwork, so I look forward to see what kooky idea I come up with next.

Premature Wisdom

One of my favorite books is The Art of Living, which is a modern translation of the Greek stoic philosopher Epictetus’ Enchiridion and Discourses. It’s a set of practical guidelines for living a fruitful life devoid of fear and misinterpretations of events in our lives over which we have no control of.

I am revisiting this book while concurrently reading Roman emperor/philosopher Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. I find stoicism appealing in many ways, but Roman stoicism attracts me even more. I particularly enjoy the practical application of this subset over more esoteric and theoretical schools of philosophy.

The illustration above is based on the following The Art of Living quote:

‘Behold the world fresh – as it is, on its own terms – through the eyes of a beginner. To know that you do not know and to be willing to admit that you do not know without sheepishly apologizing is real strength and sets the stage for learning and progress in any endeavor.’

Owls are generally associated with wisdom, so I thought that a baby owl could represent the manifestation of premature wisdom. Geometric shapes usually represent order and structure. I unified these two concepts to catalog a visual path towards personal growth via mental/spiritual/emotional regiments.