Haiku Variations - 21 Taras

Haiku 92 - 21 Taras #2 (00:16)

Haiku 94 - 21 Taras #4 (00:16)

Haiku 95 - 21 Taras #5 (00:16)

Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21

[Please turn on audio to hear Dalai Lama's Tara chant] 

--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME --- 

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7916179 

Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.

More Glitch Tests

I wanted to play around with a larger, more complex image to apply the various glitch processing upon. I chose a Jewel Tree image as the base with the following results:

This is the original unmodified image:

Buddha Self via Dreamscope

More art images passed thru various Deep Dreaming filters. Interesting results.

Forest Goddess Dreamtime

Here are some more images processed via the Dreamscope web interface (see previous posting for details). In this posting, I've selected some samples based upon images from the Forest Goddess / Pachamama series. The samples show a progression from heightened edge details to full blown crazy tripping.

Deep Dreaming Tara Mandalas

The Dreamscope site is another Deep Dreaming web interface for processing images. There's a selection of 15 filters (various pre-configured neural net levels and feedback settings)... This site is kind of fu and addictive in that it responds quickly and there are hardly any queuing / processing delays. (I wish the output wasn't limited to 800x600 however.)

I've been playing around with a number of images and filters. Interesting and often crazy stuff. Several results really stood out as being interesting without totally overwhelming the original image. Here is a set from the Tara Mandala series:

And here is one more from this Tara series that I thought was striking:

Tara Variations (Dual Portraits)

These most recent Tara variations are created as actual dual portraits in one panel, rather than like the previous post describing side-by-side diptych panels.

Tara Variations

For the new year, I began a series of Tara portraits and variations. Here are a pair with floral offerings.

When output and installed for a show, one of the panels would be reflected (reversed) so that the figures are looking toward one another, like this:

Offering Mandala for Pachamama

I've been thinking for quite awhile about Navaho healing sand paintings. As part of the ceremonial process, real objects such as stones, herbs, flowers and meaningful "trinkets" are incorporated into the visual symbology of the mandala. These temporary mandalas can often be built-up via layers, reminding me of a Peruvian shaman's medicine bundle offering (despacho).

Cut flowers are as transient as any ceremonial sand mandala when it comes to making "art", so I decided that I'd construct a digital version of a floral offering... using photos of actual blooms from my garden - in this case, Mexican Sage, Rose and Datura.

This is one of the images I came up with based upon what I had been making for the Pachamama series (showing her hidden spirit face emerging through forest leaves.

Pachamama Offering Mandala

Planetary Mandala

I recently started work on a new series the I have been thinking of as planetary Goddess mandalas. I suppose this might seem astrologically influenced, but not exactly. More shamanically attuned / intended.

The original notion was to work with a double exposure technique using the Goddess bodies overlaid by sacred flowers, tree branches and leaf textures. In the heart of each mandala appears the particular astronomical body. The Goddesses hold court in each image - 4 in the Solar mandala, 3 in the Gaian mandala, 2 in the Lunar mandala, and 1 in the Venusian mandala. Additionally, various associated birds and power animals appear (Earth -> owl, Moon -> hummingbird, Sun -> hawk, Venus -> bat and rattlesnake).

Gaian Goddess Mandala

Lunar Goddess Mandala

Solar Goddess Mandala

Venusian Goddess Mandala

These pieces are current on view in the "Double Exposure" exhibit at the Blue Door Gallery in Yonkers thru April 27th. www.bluedoorgallery.org

Kundalini Chakra Mandala

Nice found image from Psychedelic Experience on Facebook:

by Karmym

Find more images and information on Psychedelic Experience's Facebook page.

Sacred Art Book Available

Prajnaparamita Beauty Way Mandala

I have just created a prototype book of my sacred art images (thangkas and mandalas) which includes commentary, visualizations, prayers and biographical information. The book is a large format 11" x 13" 50 page hardcover titled "Beauty Way" which I created using Apple's iPhoto self-publishing tools. I am currently in the process of investigating other lower cost print-on-demand publishing services and ones which may allow an electronic iBook or iPad app option. Stay tuned!

For more information or to share ideas concerning book publishers, please email me.

Goddesses of the Elements

This is the second series of images that I discovered in my dusty digital closet. The Elemental Goddess panels were created in 2004.

Aether

Air

Earth

Fire

Water

Goddess Creation Panels

Going thru my image closet... Came across some stuff from 2004 that I thought I would share. This is an early set of mandalas - a five part series of Goddess Creation panels.

Birthing the World of Forms

Birthing the World of Plants

Birthing the World of Animals

Birthing the World of Frequency Keepers

Birthing the World of Ancestors

Wake from Your Worldly Sleep

The iris pond has flowered
Before the old temple;
I sell tea this evening
By the water's edge.
It is steeped in the cups
With the moon and stars;
Drink and wake forever
From your worldly sleep.

- Baisao (1675-1763)

Iris Plant Spirit Mandala

Winter Solstice Full Moon Eclipse

This morning at 3:17AM EST was it --- the mid-point of a 70 minute Full Moon totality in the western skies. The night was cold and windy as we gathered around a fire pit. I placed tobacco, copal incense, and a dried brugmansia flower as offerings.

An offering prayer:

Accept these offerings as a sign of respect and in deepest gratitude. We honor you spirits of the Land and spirits of the Sky. We honor you Elementals of the East, the West, the South and the North; animal spirits, plant spirits, who walk amongst us to guide and protect. We honor you, ancestors and lineage masters who have walked the Path before us. We honor the Sun and the Moon. We especially honor you Panchamama - Earth Mother - for the abundance and grace with with you provide, for the life you give. May we renew our vows of respect and recall the sacred pact that we hold with you and all your children. May we recall our true spirit and walk in harmony and balance once more. May we walk the Beauty Way once more. May we walk in Beauty.

After returning to bed, I am visited by Mahalkala, my Heart Protector, who dances iridescent blue and in flaming red glory. I am honored by his visit and know that the solstice offerings have been accepted with joy.

Online Interactive Mandala

Visit Interactive Mandala page at www.light-weaver.com

Shamanic Mandala

I created this mandala for my shamanic friend, Kara, who writes the Conduit of Joy blog site. The overall composition of the animal guardians and guides, their projection upon constellations and their general locations were given to me during a recent journey.

The animal spirits include a panther, an owl, a raven, a lemur, an Egyptian scarab beetle and a lunar moth. Kara, as Durga, rides a lion of power and mastery.

I haven't a clue about how this all fits Kara or the moment of transition she is in, but I hope to find out more soon! I get the feeling that meditating on the locations (quadrant or compass direction) where the animal spirits reside in the mandala would help to reveal deeper significance. One thing that strikes me immediately is how many of the animals have "big eyes" - embodying / symbolizing night vision or acuity of vision?? I think this is certainly a clear message about her shamanic skills!

Tree Protector

Mahakala Tree Guardian

While journeying to meet with my guides, part of the discussion turned to the need for me to create a Tree Protector thangka, honoring and celebrating my deep connection with the tree spirits. I was shown the basic "layout"as a mandala and understood that Mahakala (The Great Dark One) would be the central deity. This did not particularly surprise me as Mahakala is my Heart Chakra protector, as well.

His powerful mantra is: OM SHRI MA HAKALA HUNG PHAT

I create several images to date using this basic theme - one belonging to the Jewel Tree series.

Jewel Tree of Mahakala

The Jewel Tree image also contains the Hummingbird - symbolic messenger between the our world and the spirit worlds of the Ancestors and Illuminated Ones. The flowers shown are Datura, a beautiful, yet dangerous visionary plant used by Native American shamen in the Southwest and in California.

Mahakala Mantra Chant

By Lama Karta