.Deep Joy
50 small works created over 50 days. All are 6×6″ on cradled panels. Encaustic, Oil, Cyanotype, and Collage.
What does it mean when say we feel deep joy?
Often symbolizing the infinite and cyclical nature of existence Open, the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development and the perfection of all things. I agree with the philosophy of Zen practitioners akin to the idea of wabi-sabi or the beauty of imperfection. Closed, it represents perfection, akin to Plato’s perfect form.
A lotus symbolizes purity of the body, speech, and mind. It is also symbolic of detachment as drops of water easily slide off its petals. The book by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, “No Mud. No Lotus”, refers to the mud as suffering and the Lotus as the natural arising out of our everyday struggle.
They say the Buddha was a monk, sage, philosopher, and a teacher. The Buddha image is a gentle reminder to be kind, truthful, have a happy heart.