The psychedelic background source originated by Bill Tavis who created a fractal processed version of this Tara image a few years back. His tumblr can be accessed here: https://billtavis.tumblr.com/
Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21
Sample video (Haiku #006) from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21
As my last "before and after" posting showing a source / reference "static" image used as the basis for a video haiku, I chose to offer one of my favorite Buddhaverse Variations to serve as a catchy lead-in to this batch of posts about my new series of short video animations.
The source image (from 2014-15) is a diptych showing Tara (on the right) and a Chod Dakini (on the left).
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| Chod Dakini & Tara |
This post is a "before and after" showing source images and one of the haiku animations inspired by them. The "before" images (from 2010) take the form of a protective Thangka referred to as a 'Jewel Tree' - a graphical lineage tree depicting a personalized chain of ancestors and teachers. (In this case, the first image - Jewel Tree 2 - includes my parents, my grandmother, and teachers such a the Dalai Lama and Terence McKenna. The second image - Jewel Tree 1 - shows me embodied as a teaching Buddha in the form of Avalokiteshavara.)
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| Jewel Tree 2 |
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| Jewel Tree 1 |
This post is another "before and after" showing the source image and one of the haiku animations inspired by it. The "before" is a healing and protective Thangka from 2005 showing a gathering of 21 Taras (of various colors: red, white, blue, green, yellow).
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| 21 Taras |
This post is a "before and after" showing the source image and one of the haiku animations inspired by it. The "before" is a Thangka from 2008 showing Vajrayogini drinking blood within a 6 pointed yantra (3d merkaba) surrounded by protective entities and other symbols.
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| Vajrayogini Medicine Thangka |
I created a number of "static" versions of the Medicine Buddha in the past. I especially liked the use of the golden frame with imprints of herbal remedies used on the square formatted Medicine Buddha portrait. I decided that this could serve as the framework for some video haikus in my Buddhaverse Variations series.
The square Medicine Buddha is shown surrounded by Dakinis and other protective beings. In front lie a number of offerings, some typical (such as the 'good luck' balls and medicine urn), others more esoteric and shamanistic (skull, mushroom, merkaba) included with a nod toward Tantric practice and its Bon roots. The offering items shown here have been used as visual elements throughout the new haikus.
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| Medicine Buddha With Offerings |
As I began to work on my new set of Tibetan inspired digital glitch animations ('haikus'), it seemed like a natural starting point to harken back to some of the Forest Guardian anims from last year as a starting point. Below are a couple of early Buddhaverse Variations haikus paired with examples of the Forest Guardian anim(s) that they derived from.
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