I processed some clips of fire offerings / fire prayers with multi-layered compositing from several of the Touch Designer-based GLSL psychedelic pattern generators I've been developing.
Showing posts with label offering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label offering. Show all posts
12.16.2025
1.27.2022
Buddhaverse Variations - Visionary Haikus
Haiku 69 - Medicine Buddha & Offerings with Prayer Wheel (00:19)
Haiku 80 - Prayer Wheel with Energy Emerging Healing Hands & Offerings (3 panel) (00:19)
I can hear you now: What? The Blue Pill?? -- Recall that Tibetan Buddhist practice grew from roots in both Indian meditative practices & teachings, as well as the regions own (indigenous) shamanistic visionary religion 'Bon'. And there are many mystical / visionary practices to be uncovered in the hidden doctrine.
Sample Haikus from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21
[Please turn on audio to hear chant]
--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME ---
Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.
1.05.2022
Haiku 123 - Self Portrait as Thai Medicine Buddha
Self Portrait as Thai Medicine Buddha (00:15)
Sample video (Haiku #123) from Buddhaverse Variations ©2020-21
[Please turn on audio to hear chant soundtrack]
--- WATCH FULL SET OF HAIKUS AT HOME ---
Select thumbnails to view on Vimeo Showcase page, or click thumbnail title (ex: v001) to watch & enable autoplay.
1.16.2021
Less Is More
'Less Is More' is the current exhibition at Upstream Gallery. It's described as a Juried National Small Works Exhibition running from January 7th through January 31st. Open Thursday - Sunday, 12:30 - 5:30pm
8 Main Street, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, 10706
email: UpstreamGallery26@gmail.com
gallery phone: 914-674-8548
I have work in the show - a small 5.5"x3.5"x3" sculptural piece entitled Portable Healing Shrine. This piece is built upon a found object (a small hand made, hand-painted Hindu shrine that I found at the AsiaBarong marketplace in Great Barrington). While the found shrine was rather crudely made and painted, I thought it would be fun to use the wooden framework to create a personal shrine using my own imagery.
A selection of images follow: |
| a front view of the shrine with all doors closed |
 |
the shrine under its protective glass jar in the gallery |
a view with one side door partially opened
showing Medicine Buddha and emerging lotus
 |
| the shrine with all outer doors open showing hands making offerings (multiple panels) and Protective Dakinis dancing on the doors of the inner-most realm |
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| the doors of the inner sanctum opened to reveal the meditating Medicine Buddha flanked by flaming lotus flowers |
12.22.2020
Buddhaverse Variations: Medicine Buddha
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.
 |
| Medicine Buddha With Offerings |
haiku 42
haiku 123
9.30.2018
4.19.2016
Rite of Spring - Medicine Offering
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| Gif by Bill Tavis - tumbler site: http://billtavis.tumblr.com |
Wanted to give a 'shout out' to Bill Tavis's new project - a Kickstarter project for his Mandelmap poster.
From his tumblr: Now live! Go there now to receive a poster as a reward for pledging. Meticulously researched and compiled, this poster functions as a thought-provoking guide to the astonishingly complex Mandelbrot set. - http://kck.st/23HsEZW
From his tumblr: Now live! Go there now to receive a poster as a reward for pledging. Meticulously researched and compiled, this poster functions as a thought-provoking guide to the astonishingly complex Mandelbrot set. - http://kck.st/23HsEZW
More Glitch Experiments - Glitched Forest Goddess
This is an experiment in creating a glitched forest goddess loop to be positioned 'under' (camouflaged by) leaves, flowers and other offering elements. See the accompanying static image (below anim) for an example of my Forest Goddess series from last year... Now imagine a more layered effect with the leaves (etc.) as the top layer, and one or more glitched figures as background layers. (I'll update this post with an example as soon as I have taken this to the next step...)
3.14.2016
In Memory of Armand
It's hard to unexpectedly lose a long-time buddy, fellow artist, DIY craftsman, avid gardener, husband, father... Our thoughts are with your lovely wife and daughter.
Be well, my friend, on your journey.
8.14.2015
Pachamama Healing Mandala
This is the piece I am showing in the Blue Door Gallery's "Healing Arts" show. I thought that I would add an offering element to the Pachamama mandala image as a way to energize the space and create an awareness of shamanic healing ritual.
1.16.2015
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:
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.
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 |
Dakini Redux
Early in December I had my 60th birthday. One thought that bothered me concerned what would happen to my artwork when I'm dead and gone? Would anyone really be able to trundle through endless directories of work on my computer to discover everything? True, a lot of stuff is posted on my various websites, but... So, over the holidays I printed out a bunch of my images and organized them into presentation binders.
Well, some older images bothered me greatly and I decided to go back in to rework them. Below is an example of the before and after state of one of my Dakini images. By removing a lot of the background (photo of a golden geometric pattern from a ornamental door) and remixing the figure's layers, I think the newest version is much more dynamic and allows the Dakini figure to be read better.
Well, some older images bothered me greatly and I decided to go back in to rework them. Below is an example of the before and after state of one of my Dakini images. By removing a lot of the background (photo of a golden geometric pattern from a ornamental door) and remixing the figure's layers, I think the newest version is much more dynamic and allows the Dakini figure to be read better.
 |
| Dakini "before" |
 |
| Dakini "after" |
4.10.2011
The End of Suffering
May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos
Even in the darkest spots living beings are able to hear it clearly
So that all suffering in them cease,
understanding comes to their heart
And they transcend the path of sorrow and death.
The universal dharma door is already open
The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly
The miracle happens
A beautiful child appears in the heart of the lotus flower
One single drop of this compassionate water is enough
to bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.
Listening to the bell I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve
My mind calm, my body relaxed
A smile is born on my lips
Following the sound of the bell, my breath brings me back
to the safe island of mindfulness
In the garden of my heart,
the flowers of peace bloom beautifully.
~Thich Nhat Hanh
12.21.2010
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.
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.
11.14.2010
3.10.2010
Wheel of Life - Bhutan Dreaming
The design is based upon the Wheel of Life thangka format. Many of the source images are from Bhutan. It is a commission for a teaching image - didactic in intent - concerning sustainable living. The assignment was to put such "modern" information into a framework (design) that would be easily recognized and read by a typical Bhutanese viewer.
The parts of the Wheel are are follows:
The inner circle shows the cock, the snake and the wild boar symbols - symbols of lust, bodily needs, ego. The inner ring shows "good karma" and "bad karma" effects - with the good karma leading to eventual Buddhahood.
The middle ring (consisting of 6 large slices) traditionally shows scenes for the 6 realms. In this case, I have shown realms relating to ecological living: green sustainability vs. out-of-control development & resulting pollution. Starting at the top running counter clockwise: a view of Bhutan today with mountains and lake; the landscape with sustainable energy (windmills and solar arrays); a waterfall and pristine glacial river with prayer flags; mountain poppies in a meadow; a view of lake/river pollution and uncontrolled discharge; a view of air pollution from factories and burning forests.
Around the Wheel's outer ring is Yama - Lord of Death / Karma.
I also placed some local fauna (birds and leopard) around the outside along with a traditional offering symbol.
So, this is my first attempt at creating a didactic visual that can be used to tell a specific story (contrasting two possible approaches / outcomes -> sustainable vs. current madness). Which path will Bhutan take into their future?
They talk of GNH - Gross National Happiness, so I imagine they will maintain the beauty of their land and the stewardship of it by continuing in a sustainable approach to living.
The parts of the Wheel are are follows:
The inner circle shows the cock, the snake and the wild boar symbols - symbols of lust, bodily needs, ego. The inner ring shows "good karma" and "bad karma" effects - with the good karma leading to eventual Buddhahood.
The middle ring (consisting of 6 large slices) traditionally shows scenes for the 6 realms. In this case, I have shown realms relating to ecological living: green sustainability vs. out-of-control development & resulting pollution. Starting at the top running counter clockwise: a view of Bhutan today with mountains and lake; the landscape with sustainable energy (windmills and solar arrays); a waterfall and pristine glacial river with prayer flags; mountain poppies in a meadow; a view of lake/river pollution and uncontrolled discharge; a view of air pollution from factories and burning forests.
Around the Wheel's outer ring is Yama - Lord of Death / Karma.
I also placed some local fauna (birds and leopard) around the outside along with a traditional offering symbol.
So, this is my first attempt at creating a didactic visual that can be used to tell a specific story (contrasting two possible approaches / outcomes -> sustainable vs. current madness). Which path will Bhutan take into their future?
They talk of GNH - Gross National Happiness, so I imagine they will maintain the beauty of their land and the stewardship of it by continuing in a sustainable approach to living.
7.01.2009
Healing Altar Installation
Now showing at The Blue Door Gallery's "Arts for Healing" exhibition, July 1st - August 1st.Opening Reception Wednesday, July 1st 4pm-8pm. 13 Riverdale Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701. Gallery Hours: Wednesday 12-5pm, Thursday 12-5pm, Friday 2-7pm, Saturday 12-5pm. For more information: 914-375-5100
The Healing Altar installation is intended to bring needed healing to our selves, our loved ones, our community, our nation and our planet. Gallery visitors are invited to write offerings on joss paper and then place them into a prayer box, as well as to place other offerings (stones, candles, incense, flowers, herbs, photos, etc.) onto the altar itself. Once a week – on Saturday afternoon, the artist will come to the altar to bring new flowers and light incense offerings, to pray for peace and well-being, and to burn (offer up) the written prayers left by gallery visitors.
About this piece: the two cut-out side panels depict the artist as embodying a Buddha with hands held in the gesture of prayer and gratitude – Namasté. This is a form of the meditation of Tibetan Buddhist deity self-visualization practice - training for a compassionate mind and heart. The central panel depicts the figure of a dancing Black Dakini – a protective female aspect of nature embodying raw energies of creation and destruction – the cycles of life. Her flaming aura shows both purity of intent as well as showing her spiritual power. She dances on a skull to indicate that she has conquered fear of Death. Above her, an offering cloud of incense and flowers wafts into the realm of Spirit, a gift of gratitude to our Ancestors, Guides and Protectors.
Healing Altar - M.Gilliland ©2009
The Healing Altar installation is intended to bring needed healing to our selves, our loved ones, our community, our nation and our planet. Gallery visitors are invited to write offerings on joss paper and then place them into a prayer box, as well as to place other offerings (stones, candles, incense, flowers, herbs, photos, etc.) onto the altar itself. Once a week – on Saturday afternoon, the artist will come to the altar to bring new flowers and light incense offerings, to pray for peace and well-being, and to burn (offer up) the written prayers left by gallery visitors.
About this piece: the two cut-out side panels depict the artist as embodying a Buddha with hands held in the gesture of prayer and gratitude – Namasté. This is a form of the meditation of Tibetan Buddhist deity self-visualization practice - training for a compassionate mind and heart. The central panel depicts the figure of a dancing Black Dakini – a protective female aspect of nature embodying raw energies of creation and destruction – the cycles of life. Her flaming aura shows both purity of intent as well as showing her spiritual power. She dances on a skull to indicate that she has conquered fear of Death. Above her, an offering cloud of incense and flowers wafts into the realm of Spirit, a gift of gratitude to our Ancestors, Guides and Protectors.
10.24.2008
Durga Altar
As part of the Lady One Death series, I created this image of her embodiment in the form of Durga. Here Durga serves as a fierce protector of the Land of the Ancestors at the gates of Xibalba Be (The Dark Road).
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