This was a commissioned piece. My patron wanted the the three words expressing the foundations of mindfulness practice central to the Buddha’s teachings below the monks on alms round. It was a pleasure for me to return to painting the Thai monks again.

One of the great Indian saints of the 20th century is depicted here surrounded by devotees. Taken from a picture that inspired me I changed the setting and put the kirtan celebration by the ocean. A metaphor for Ma’s limitless presence. Like all the great avatars of India she transformed many lives and her eternal presence lives on though her teachings, devotees and photographs.

Leaning back on my favorite tree one morning I heard a burst of commotion in the woods nearby. Two fawns lept out of nowhere and bolted in different directions. I saw one leap at least 20 feet and the other one flew by within inches of my body. I was thunderstruck and when I turned around I saw Coyote standing on the ridge nearby tongue dangling, breathing hard. Talk about inspiration!

In my class I often work extemporaneously and things arrive, so to speak. This one came not long after returning from India. A humble offering of gratitude to an ancient and beguiling culture.

Standing in nature is necessary spiritual and somatic hygiene for myself on a daily basis.  I am fascinated by the ephemeral sensations I receive when standing barefoot on the earth and how to translate that into imagery. Subtle meridians of prana flow like electrical currents into our bodies, revitalizing our systems. All healers (light workers) are conduits of subtle earth vibrations.

I’m captivated by the early morning light as it dapples the trees and their surroundings. Usually I paint this tree from memory but this time I was right there with it. Then I’m also with the birds, the breeze and the unnameable.

When I sit and connect with the ancient trees where I live a resonant presence enfolds me that alters my consciousness in ways I can’t describe, hence I make art about it. The devotee depicted here receives her transmission dressed in fine garments. It’s the sense of royalty I feel when I’m in the presence of these ancient trees. And where exactly is the source of light, from without or within? For some it’s at the feet of the goddess.

When the redwood sings us back into ourselves we take on a different guise. Our primeval fey face emerges along with memories and symbols from other times. This piece had an uncanny unfolding over along time. No accident that the point of light remained at the throat. Now is the time to listen deeply, to heal our collective hypnosis. To speak for the ones whose language is beyond words.

I named this piece after Surya, the solar deity of Hindu cosmology because it is so awash in bright light. Here walks a maiden enchanted by the pulsating light and the sounds, colors and spirits that surround her.

When loved one’s transition, they leave indelible impressions in our hearts, glowing embers of love. While working on this graceful dancer I realized she was my way of saying goodbye to Gloria and also of marking her memory and celebrating her gifts. It seemed as if her graceful dance of flowing generosity and beauty would go on through infinity.

I’ve done many portraits of this remarkable tree being. She communicates in silent but profound ways. That power is symbolized by the wizard like figure that seems to emerge from her base. Many times I’ve laid down under these great trees for healing.

I created this woodland paradise for friends who have a strong connection to the earth and native American spirituality. I used the swirling patterns to suggest the musical vibrations flowing through the dreamscape, the figures in white suggesting pilgrimage and prayer. A special thanks to the photographs of Edward Curtis which served as inspiration.

In this tree transmission it seemed like cosmic worlds were colliding. There’s a sense of falling and being blown away simultaneously. Dark worlds and light worlds battling it out? Perhaps it’s an echo of what I feel in these turbulent times. Yet there is an angelic presence passing by, if you can find her.

All of the paintings in the tree series are self portraits. I’m offering up the feelings for and memories of tree encounters. Paint and water have their alchemical dance. Sometimes that surprising dance brings laughter and I will pursue the muse in that form but no form is what it seems. Truth is ever fluid never static. This is the challenge and wonder of painting, to be the engaged witness to the unfolding.

I have been standing with this beloved tree for many years now and each time it is a new unfolding. After the rains of winter and spring she has a soft bed of moss on her right flank. It feels like a whirlwind of energies swirling around the girl yet she’s receptive, still.

In the Torah it say’s that being in a circle of apple trees is the most efficacious place for prayer. When we lay down to dream or when we surrender ourselves to the earth we slide into mysterious realms. Certainly, there’s more to an apple tree than meets the eye.

In Hinduism Kali is worshipped as an aspect of the Divine Mother. She is not the nurturing goddess, but the wild, uncontainable force of time and transformation. The skull garland and severed head represent the transmutation of fear and the cutting away of ones false identity. Ultimately she is the archetype of compassion—destroying ones delusions to liberate the soul. Making images of her has become an inquiry for me into her archetypal power.

This commissioned work was a response to Camp 53 which I had painted for the same patron. Behind the outer world of chaos and confusion there is a world inhabited by mythic figures, god’s and goddesses. They embody archetypal energies that exist beyond time and space. Some of my personal favorites gathered together here with friends and fox for a ceremony under the redwoods where I live.

“Nataraj” refers to the Hindu deity Shiva as the cosmic dancer, representing creation, preservation, and destruction. But here she appears as a female form accompanied by other spirits. The image was a dialogue with the energies I experience in meditation. The archetype of devotion symbolized by the central figure is ignited by both Nataraja above and the fire devi below.

This piece was my heart’s response to war and displacement. On the ground a small sunflower, symbol of Ukraine.

Receiving the blessing from the deity is Darshan. The bowed head and clasped hands of the green figure signal humility, readiness, and surrender while the surrounding figures—one animal like and others more ghostly or ancestral—suggest the presence of multiple generations or planes of being. Inspired by Paul Klee I created a radiant sun/moon symbol to grace the assemblage.

Darshan, is a Sanskrit word meaning “sight” or “vision,” in the context of a spiritual audience. In Hinduism both the feet and hands of the sage can be potent transmitters of spiritual energy. When I began the piece, little did I know that these very different cosmic figures would appear to offer their blessing.

In Zen Buddhism Satori refers to a sudden flash of enlightenment. In this case it might have caught her unawares? Maybe it was just the moment when the butterfly landed on the flower stalk, who knows?

“Aloha” is a profound greeting of love and connection — not just to others, but to one’s inner being and the living environment. The triple goddess here is seen communing with the earth, in prayer, ritual or dance while in the presence of ancestors.  Most of my small works happen without any idea of where they will take me. So Aloha here can mean…. looking for clues to the next surprise.

This visitor came unannounced from the unconscious. Who she is I can only guess. Is she wielding a weapon? And what kind of weapon does an emissary of love and devotion use? These are her contradictions. Not all angels are pure light. Perhaps some have blood on their hands.

Sometimes it feels as if the tree is opening itself up for me to step inside, not into the tree itself but into a different reality.  Painting is a way for me to dialogue and play with the formless feelings that being in nature evokes. And it always amazes me that the possibilities are endless.

My patron came to me with a vague request. “I want something dark, really dark”. The painting became a commentary on the darkness of our times, climate change, displacement, militarism and technology. The scene is a refugee camp with three animal friends (the camp owners?) having a friendly game of cards in the corner. In the center amidst the chaos stands a saintly presence. A personification of serenity and presence amidst the chaos. The light we need to guide us through.

This portrait emerged from a playful dialogue with ink and watercolor. While turning the image a face appeared and he seemed to be wearing a mask. I was taken aback by his piercing gaze and strong presence. Amadán dubh is the trickster, dark fool or dark fairy of Irish folklore. He haunts the hills after sunset playing reed pipes to work his magic.

In the Tree Transmission series I seek to convey the mysterious interaction between humans and the far more ancient tree realm. When in close proximity to human’s trees transmit flows of prana (life force) stored within their bodies. Science has demonstrated surprising chemical interactions that happen in our brains during this exchange. Translating these experiences through memory, form and color is food for my soul.

During the pandemic I read the The Red Book by Carl Jung. It didn’t feel like a book but more like a magical being that mirrored the mystery of my subconscious back to me. Salome, the dark feminine archetype was the pivotal shadow figure of Jung’s psyche. His encounters with her in altered states were life changing as he details in his masterwork. This flower image arrived from that subconscious place where symbol and feeling dance into form. A tribute to the dark goddess.

One meaning of the Greek word ‘psyche’ is soul and their symbol for it was the butterfly. Here a young nymph-like figure rests in contemplation of the ephemeral creature on its finger. The tree and circular pond hold her in a womb space of reverie and elemental connection.

Unframed: 12″ by 18″
Framed: 21″ by 27″

Where the hand enters bark,
A tender song awakens the heart,
Like the flutter of wings behind,
One breath trips open the gate,
To the warm touch,
Of a trillion suns.

Unframed: 12″ by 18″

Framed: 21″ by 27″

Within us all is a child fascinated by the natural world, its textures, colors, forms, smells, sounds and flavors. I don’t know if this child is tasting the bark or kissing it, or maybe he is singing into the tree. Does it matter?

Shaktipat means the “descent of grace or power”. Traditionally it happens when in proximity to a highly evolved being, but if one is ripe, it can happen anywhere at any moment. It initiates a change in awareness and a deepening of one’s spiritual path. That said, I had no idea at the outset that this piece would lead me to this theme. There are stories within stories here and I leave it up to the viewer to find what speaks to them.

As I sat reading in my favorite spot I looked up at the sun peeking through the redwood boughs and then down at my book again. That’s when the inspiration flashed of the two suns. This inner light that emanates from lower chakras, the light of wisdom ignited by words and the heavenly light of the sun, together they bring alignment, beauty, and a quiet joy. The piece is an ode to that light from within and beyond.

A towering grandmother redwood and her family lives still intact close to my home. They were the muse for this reflection on the life cycle, the power of ancient trees and the womb of ancestral feminine care. I attempted to capture the scars of fire that remain etched in her ancient bark. Her age and experience  contrasted with the young sapling at her base.

Unframed: 15″ by 23″

Framed: 21″ by 29″

In this, the first of the transmission series, a female figure transforms into the vegetable realm. Her legs root into the earth and  leaves sprout from her head and torso, reminiscent of the Greek goddess, Daphne who turned into a tree. Plants, especially these ancient ones remember us to our true identity as beings of light.

Unframed: 15″ by 23″

Framed: 21″ by 29″

In this the male (or androgynous) companion piece, a pinkish-red orb blossoms at the crown chakra.  The swirling lines and upward strokes in the tree bark resemble flowing currents, ascent and flow of kundalini energy through the body while simultaneously being rooted in the earth.

Unframed: 22″ by 30

Framed: 29″ by 37

What is it that transpires in conversation between human beings and ancient trees? I’m really interested in that but I don’t know where my painting investigation will take me. Portals of rhythm, orbs ascending, descending, ancestors and moments of remembering, yes, it’s a place of pure potentiality. And in this instance a dearly departed one provided a surprise visit on her way back to her celestial home.

The energetic field of an old growth forest is beyond our comprehension. Here the goddess as symbol of renewal and awakening stands fully naked, immersed in the flow of pure life energy (prana or chi) cleansing and igniting her chakras, ancestral and intuitive wisdom. She is attended by two sacred geometrical forms in red. The Merkabah symbolizes spiritual activation, and interdimensional awareness.

Standing on a smooth, sunlit boulder, the woman is naked but not vulnerable, she radiates a quiet confidence and devotion. Hands and heart open to the elements her song echoes through time asking for support from ancestral realms. Circular shadows wrap her body and hold her in the water’s blessing. This, I was blessed to be a witness to.

As part of this devotional series of the muse and river this was the image that captivated me most. Her vulnerable gesture of surrender merges with the waters current and one feels her offering being welcomed and reciprocated with renewal, strength and healing.

Unframed: 22″ by 30″

Framed: 29″ by 37″

It seems as if the muse is about to melt into the cascading current of the river. The rocks and water are welcoming her back to her primordial home. Everything is a sense of celebration, calm and vibrancy.

This image speaks of patience, and the willingness to be resolute on ones path, at least for me. The metaphor or symbol may vary if the current is moving towards her or away in the viewers mind. I liked the way the waterfall pours down into her central channel and the driftwood emerges like snakes from her back. She is solidly sitting on her rock grounded in both vertical and horizontal flow. Her little earthen cup is eternally filled.

Like much of my work this piece was a stream of consciousness unfolding. I let the wet paper, watercolors and w.c. crayon merge and dance. The process makes the sense of discovery that much more exciting when figures emerge. In this case Ganesha and various friends. I became enraptured with the central motif of the two goddess’s sharing the same torso and yet moving in different ways.

The figures here emerged from broad strokes of watercolor on wet paper. One figure beckons another and from the feelings a story emerges. A messenger rides a white unicorn, a child, a young tree, music and dance. In childhood myth, imagination, play and spirituality were one. The mélange of images evokes a hopeful vision for a new and ancient time on earth.

Was I a witness to this gentle dance between lovers or a participant?  When this kind of love is present all notions of gender, race and attachment fall away. But where this couple came from, I don’t really know. Somehow, I felt them as two parts of myself.

I am a lover of conscious dance. Sometimes the small gestures one sees in dance are mind-blowingly precious and being outside in a beautiful place turns up the multi-dimensional frequency. My ode to the sensuality of dance and soulful co-creation in nature.

There are things we can only know through the body itself and not the mind. The whole body is like an instrument of attunement when in dialogue with nature. The awareness of subtle realms makes the body feel transparent and we intuit the life force that pervades earth, sky, bird and branch.

The light of the self is ever-present but how many really know that? This is a memory portrait of a radiant being who I had the good fortune to be on retreat with. Her presence was like a mudra of awakening, gentle grace and a fierce knowing.  I sought to portray through the simplest means, her power and effortless transmission of light. Not the kind of light that one sees with ones eyes.

How do I make sense of this one who danced into my paper holding the universe in her hands and bringing a lighthearted smile to my heart? I don’t need to make sense of her. Perhaps she’s reminding us that we’re not alone on this difficult planet we call home.

A wild celebration unfolds around the two figures reminiscent of Shiva and Shakti who remain aloof in their multi-dimensional presence. Meanwhile Ganesha enters on the right with a passenger while an ecstatic, rhythmic pulse pervades the festivities. Victory to Ganesha, remover of obstacles, deva of wisdom!

The Devi’s and Deva’s of Asian cosmology are vast in number, angel like beings that reside in subtle realms. It would seem this one is a guardian spirit who while in service offers a mudra of blessing. Her multi colored appearance symbolizes her shifting moods yet her gaze is constant and serene. For me she is a personification of the sacred womb space of the Mother.

The beloved Green Tara of Tibetan Buddhism, is a savior and protector deity. This painting came out of a dream with strokes of black floating in front of the deity. In the painting the strokes became boats, a visual metaphor for wounds as vessels of awakening that lead us back to the unconditional arms of Tara, Mother of the Universe.

Female bathers have been an iconic motif throughout art history, beloved by Cezanne and many others. The lotus symbolizes purity, rebirth and awakening. I brought the two together here, while losing myself in the transparent swirls of blue, lavender and pink glazes. The milky soft moon in the distance and the arched trunk seem to hold the two women in a dreamlike sanctuary. A place of healing, renewal, rejuvenation.

Being near to the water’s edge in a protected spot it seems so often that I envision Her presence there. Whether or not this happens in my imagination or in the so-called reality show of time and space it doesn’t seem to matter. In truth She is not just there but everywhere.

I made wild gestures and was lost on the trail when alas she found me like a soft breeze, a breath, ephemeral and free. She emerged mysteriously from the water, movement, earth and sky. Her pose suggests release, surrender, and elevation. The dark orb lends a sense of balance and ballast to this yogini’s emergence.

The image of Siddhartha Gotama sitting under a tree is a powerful symbol of awakening that resonates for many people the world over. Making images of enlightened masters, gods and goddesses makes their presence more vivid and alive in my consciousness, a silent dialogue ensues and I slide into the slipstream of devotional artmaking though the ages.

Roots run deep into earth
Branches reach far into sky
Ground of being is vast
Tranquil as still water
Mind at rest
Lotus blossoms

My homage to Gauguin, Matisse, (Le bonheur de vivre/ The joy of life) and the post impressionists, who emphasized feeling and emotional memory as opposed to realistic depictions of nature. Here in this timeless afternoon all sorrow will have to wait but we can rest and dream on, within the dream itself.

Sometimes painting can feel like an epic struggle and sometimes that’s when we can receive the most surprising and evocative results. A figure appears and the scene magically transforms like in a dream. Then the image has potency, it lives in your consciousness, speaking in tongues beyond words, calling you down and in.

My first Green Tara (a Tibetan Buddhist bodhisattva) emerges from bold swirls of color. Her form is composed of layered greens, purples, and blues, echoing her nurturing and protective qualities. Ephemeral blue devas fawn over her shoulder. She is grace and compassion personified in form.

After painting a large laborious commission of this scene, I let myself render it in a loose and simple manner with sumi ink on paper. Using traditional Chinese calligraphy brushes I was able to express myself in a direct, spontaneous manner—the perfect visual language for evoking the quiet majesty of this enchanting spot.

I’ve always been interested in the lyrical potential of painting, the free and emotive brushstroke. The blossoming Dogwood outside my woodland cottage was the muse for this piece. Spring enters as a breeze over the landscape carrying three nymphs animated by lightness, innocence and renewal.

The Buddha said that being on the path meant going against the stream. Mara is the notorious force of temptation that assaulted Siddhartha Gautama under the Bodhi tree. Here the woman crouching in the water faces the others as temptation, conformity or the force of conditioning, the currents of Mara (or delusion).

In this playful celebration of the divine feminine the sage sits in calm receptivity, surrounded by children, angels, and whimsical apparitions. Satsang means a gathering in the company of truth, where seekers and the wise coexist in a sacred exchange. The exaggerated gestures of the devotees—offering bowls and playing music, create a circle of warmth and reverence. It was my way of honoring a childlike exuberance for the divine mother.

Nymphs or woodland spirits are part of our collective memory, embedded in myths the world over and the hearts of children everywhere. It’s a recurring theme in my work. Here two figures sit in quiet communion with a rushing waterfall surrounded by a forest, shimmering and singing in deep blues and greens. Who is witnessing who?

Shakti  here is the personification of feminine power and represents the creative aspect of creation. So rest primordial Goddess and reflect on your infinite being, even in your passive form you bind the elements together,  and radiate the supreme, consciousness, bliss and divine will.

This pond was my swimming hole, muse and sanctuary for the 17 years I lived in a nature preserve in northwest Indiana. The warmth of the sunbather invites the viewer to rest in dappled light while the contrasting cool tones of the water give ease, release and renewal.

This painting was inspired by Fern Canyon Trail, Van Damme State Park, Mendocino, Ca. The dramatic forms at the base of these giant redwoods juxtaposed with the gentle stream at their base created a faerie like dream space. I was in total awe of the beauty on this sacred trail at the bottom of the fern drenched canyon. In this timeless place you can hear the song of the ancient ones.

Once upon a time on a moonlit night, overlooking a sparkling sea on the headlands of Mendocino.