"Eater of Serpents" - Today's Work

"Eater of Serpents" painting February 26, 2014

Garuda has his head, the light coming in the window is brighter, and I added highlights to Constance's skin. Not sure if I want her shirt and pants to be a different color. 

"Volatilization of the Fixed" Painting in Process

Sketch done in Paper by Fifty-Three

Robyn's Self-Portrait Photo

I asked my sister Robyn Flatley for a photo of her doing something she loves. She chose eating, and sent me two great pix, one of her licking her plate, and the other of herself with a fork of food.

I did a nice sketch of the plate licking, but I wanted to be able to see the food itself, so I did the painting using the fork image.

I want to show that we take in the prana from food, releasing it from its bondage in food form, and then incorporating it into our bodies. 

"Volatilization of the Fixed" Underpainting

"Volatilization of the Fixed" Painting Today

"Summit Lake Ascension" in Process

Photo of Summit Lake by Vivian Kendall
 plus Flying Woman online image manipulated in Photoshop

"Summit Lake Ascension", Underpainting 1

"Summit Lake Ascension" Underpainting 2

Photo of my Hand

Photoshop of Underpainting 2 with Hand Added

This painting is intended to show the death of Vivian Kendall, whom I knew as Osprey Therian. She took the photo of Summit Lake from the deck of her house overlooking the lake. I found the image of a woman flying online, flopped it, and manipulated it in Photoshop to show the joy of leaving a body that no longer worked. She was freed by Death. 

Then I decided I needed to add a big hand to show she was gathered up by the Higher Self, gently freeing her. I took a pic of my hand, flopped it, and put it into an image of the underpainting in Photoshop. Next I will do the actual painting of the Hand.

Eater of Serpents in Process February 26, 2014

Constance Closeup

Eater of Serpents February 24, 2014

Here is the painting as it is today. I have put in Garuda and Kundalini. Next I want to put in Garuda's beak grasping the serpent's head. Wish me luck!

Sculpture of Garuda's Heada

Garuda Eater of Serpents

Using Photoshop, I took the image of a sculpture of Garuda that I found online, removed the base, made it white and transparent, and inserted it behind the photo image of Constance in Garudasana. I drew the background in Photoshop, and added the twining Kundalini serpent.

Making the Invisible Visible ... A New Series

Constance in Garudasana

The series idea that came to me was painting the spiritual effects of our physical actions. The first painting is more obviously spiritual; my yoga teacher, Constance, in a pose called Garudasana. Garuda is an Eagle, ridden by Lord Vishnu, who sustains the Universe. Garuda is called the "Eater of Serpents". I looked at the pose and I see a lot of twining, which reminds me of a serpent coiling around the body, so I associated it with Kundalini. 

Underpainting