Final Collage

Sahdi Woman

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Before:

Tibetan Mural

Before:


After:


You may find this mural here.

Bardos: A Merry-go-Round Post-Death Pre-Life Special Schmorgazborg

This site gives a concise description of the bardo thodol or states that are described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead and its title is by the same name. What first attracted me to this image are the wrathful deities that appear in these tankas. In fact, in the tanka above we see several grotesque and bizarre beings hovering around the central mandala form. Since I have been working with my simply elated Buddha for the beginning of the semester I think it would be prudent to spice things up and bring in some wrathful deities on Meanderings and Unsavory Conditions. I mean, whats so unsavory up until this point?

This site has a copyright that says:
Copyright © 2007 Near-Death Experiences & the Afterlife
Thank you "Near-Death Experience & the Afterlife" for the information and leading me to the site by "Roger," which is below!
Roger's site is titled Death, Dying and Rebirth.

This website answers some frequently asked questions about the Tibetan Book of the Dead. My favorite answer assures the reader that we do not have to go to work during a bardo state. Thats good. I don't want to work when I'm dead.

The history of the Tibetan Book of the Dead begins in the 14th century by a man named Guru Padmasambhava who wrote about the Bardo thodol. There are three main states of being after life. They are the initial death stage or bardo which is characterized with a luminescent white light. The second bardo is the supreme reality and features five colors that appear in the form of mandalas. The third bardo is characterized by a lesser brilliant light that corresponds to the six modes of existence. These bardos are opportunities to look inside ourselves to reveal ultimate truths about who we really are. If these lessons are not recognized one can, so to speak, fall behind in this progression towards being reborn.

So, let's just say that the lessons are not learned and the signs are not heeded. At this point, the spirit may continue to subvert growth by three days or eight days or as long as fourteen days. This is depicted in the unfolding of the mandala.

In sum, the monsters and very unpleasant looking beings that float around these tanks have not attained enough peace and enlightenment that enable them to return to life in human form. They are confused and lost and haunt the living world greedy and ignorant.

I would like to explore this realm and see where it takes me in my next Illustrator image.
The tanka image was found here.

Radiating Navel Buddha

We begin with the sketch...

Pen tool traces Buddha's every curve.

Buddha Armor: fits like a glove

This is the Crusades. Buddha is called on to march and fight as a soldier. His armor is unusually form fitting. He says he's having trouble breathing. He says he can deal with it, besides, he'll lose some weight during the walk won't he? Someone is shouting on about how antithetical a cause for Buddha to try and spread Christianity. Doesn't he have his own religion? Buddha huffs and puffs and says that he doesn't mind fighting for a just cause. Heck, Buddhism is doing just fine. Its on the up and up. And besides as soon as all the yuppies figure out about all the little prayer flags they can hang around their deck, it'll take off. If the suit of armor goes easy on his girth, Buddha just wants to have a little action in the meantime. So be it. Life doesn't make sense sometimes.

Altered Landscape: Pololu Valley

My cut-out and torn construction paper Buddha sitting peacefully on a lotus leaf in front of a blistering hot sunshine-e day.

Samsara represents the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth that runs in accordance with one's karma. Here I have depicted Buddha's state of mind keeping that awareness in plain sight. This logo, with more tweaking, might suffice for a meditation studio. The font was also to show how samsara is a system that bleeds into itself.





Buddha snorkeling could is a silly concept but for a snorkeling company, one could imagine that snorkeling is just that peaceful that one, while in the act, achieves enlightenment. The idea of the commando buddha in camouflage is a different idea. This font is like commando Buddha was in the forest hiding behind the trees then all of a sudden- he's here!




Sushi should be Buddha's favorite food, at least the more recent Buddha and not the one that originally came from India. Then I would be making Samosa Buddha, which I guess has a better ring. Anyway, my Buddha character looks like he's been gorging on some white rice and creamy dynamite sauce. The logo vaguely resembles my subject in the other blog posts. I wanted to exagerate his propensity for eating and that he is perfectly jolly fellow for it. The sushi font is made to look like it could sit on top of the table. The pastel colored spray-like appendages are used to echo the cartoon-like sushi that I unlocked and played around with in the logo. I'm not completely satisfied with the merge of my Buddha and the ultra cleanliness of the sushi drawings but I guess more manipulation on the unlocked sushi would have got me closer to a more cohesive drawing.





I love pancakes and I especially love pumpkin pancakes which is all I want to eat right now. This was my first attempt at playing off of Buddha's paunch and how he might have attained such a silohuette. Maybe ihop could use it.

Buddha meets my Childhood Heroes

I opened up to Buddha today. I let him in.

We thought it would be advantageous that he meet some of my mentors from the past. As I have lost touch with most of them I asked him if he wanted to meet my heroes instead. He agreed. In my mind's eye I asked them to meet in the Grand Canyon of my heart. Then Buddha went to meet them.

This is what he said, "Here they are. Everyone you wanted to be and thought you already were. Wonder Woman is an obvious choice. Athena, Greek Goddess of War- what battles were you having? Hmmm. Hunter S. Thompson is an unusual hero. Or was it that you found amusement in his books? Were you a practicing voyeur or did you accumulate empirical data? Never mind. It isn't for me to know. Just yet... Now, Gandhi is so cliche, I'm surprised. Its like choosing the Buddha to go on a walkabout or something--- which, oh, I guess you tried that too. Now who's that in the corner on Athena's shoulder? Is that Nina Simone? This must have been when you were a little older then? Like 14? Or 15? Yes, she was a spirited one. I'm glad she's in there too. Its good to keep your feet on the ground. Its important to have realistic heroes and dreams. They are the ones most likely to actually come into being."


Note about the authors of these images: The picture of Wonder Woman is courtesy of Mike's Wonder Woman Home Page, which "has sadly now gone." Thank you anyway Mike. Your intention is clearly remembered. For the fabulous shot of Nina Simone playing piano, caught with her hands in mid-flight! His name is Roland Godefroy and he took this on May 14, 1982. There is a great article that accompanies Gandhi's picture that is riveting to read tangentially. Otherwise, no other authors are accounted for.