Chakrasana: Full Wheel

Full Wheel: Chakrasana

This acrylic piece is the last of my acrylic works in the “Asana Series”. I began the painting at a live painting session about 6 months ago at Black to Yoga. You may remember the small 16 x 20 watercolors I have already completed of Quamay from my March newsletter (depicted at bottom). 

I was able to get all of the basic tones into the background and the figure during the live painting session but was having some real problems figuring out how to accurately render the figure. The watercolor piece of this pose was completed from a side view. This worms-eye frontal view is much more dynamic. The body’s angles and lighting are dramatic and undulating, thus making the contours of the yogi’s figure more difficult to render accurately. Sorting through these technical difficulties kept me from completing the painting during the live session. With so many people watching it is sometimes difficult to find the confidence and sense of safety needed to forge ahead knowing that your efforts may lead to failure.

So, I brought the piece back to my studio, put it back up on the easel, and just kept periodically staring at it for two more months. It might not make sense to you, but any artist understands this behavior completely. Trust me, it’s one of the creepy, weirdo things we artists sometimes do! By then it was time for me to move to my new home with it’s own studio space so I just brought the incomplete painting along for the move. Once I set my studio up in the new place I placed the painting back on the easel and began the same staring match all over again! 

Then I got sick with COVID and spent several weeks just trying to live let alone painting. By the time I felt well enough to try and paint I was so far behind on the whole series (which is actually just the watercolors) I thought it best to complete it before going back to staring at this one again. Once the series was complete (last month) I was determined to finish this one. I am bit OCD about my work and have trouble accepting creatively loose ends – so it had to be completed.  

Chakrasana is a heart-opening pose so I placed the symbol for the heart chakra above the figure and repeated it in the headband for greater emphasis. Since the asana symbolizes a wheel, I purposely left the back edge of the mat open to give the pictorial plane a sense of infinity, or movement out beyond the figure’s feet. The majority of the colors used in this image’s palette (greens, blues, browns), are indicative of the earth and one’s connection to it through the asana.   
 

*To purchase prints click here

Full Wheel Watercolor Image from March 2020

Garland Pose

Garland Pose – Malasana
from the “Asana Series” 

Garland pose is another addition to my ongoing series on yoga. The model for this image was the yogi Rondy of Rondyoga.com

The colors I chose for this image are based upon the asana’s connection to the lower chakras: the root chakra (red), the sacral chakra (orange), and the solar plexus chakra (yellow). Garland is a rooting pose which more deeply connects one to mother earth and her life-giving energies. 

The unalome to the right of the figure is a Buddhist symbol which symbolizes the journey to enlightenment as symbolized in the geometric shape at the top of the symbol.

For those of you who don’t know, I began the series in July of last year in conjunction with the yogini’s and yogi who teach at the Black to Yoga here in Oakland. 


Other News

My new website launches next month!
I will have a new website platform that will be launching in the first week of February. There will be a completely new look and a variety of enhanced features that will make it easier to navigate the site and to place orders.  

My new site will allow you to order paper and giclee prints, metal prints..choose your own frames, and have the whole order shipped and ready to hang!

*All of these features will necessitate a raise in my prices so if you want something at the lower price point place your order before February 1st!!

Upcoming Shows

Art of the African Diaspora Show
This show has a main location and several satellite Open Studios so you will be able to see my work at several venues 

Main Show: Richmond Art Center
2540 Barrett Ave, Richmond, CA 94804

Opening Saturday, January 25, 2020
-Awardees Discussion 12:30 – 2
-Opening Reception 2 – 5

Open Studios: Oakstop 17
1721 Broadway #201, Oakland, CA 94612
March 6 & 7, 2020
-First Friday, March 6th  5pm – 10pm
-Open Viewing Saturday, March 7th  11 – 5
-Artist Talks: Saturday, March 14, 2020  2 – 4*
*doors open at 11 and close at 5


Unbound Roots: SOMArts
This show runs March 9 – April 19, 2020


Be on the lookout for more Updates!

The ‘Asana” Series: Zen Yoga Triple

Fear is a funny thing. It can manifest itself in so many ways that we often mistake it for something completely different. Oftentimes, it uses other emotions or activities as a veneer in order to mask its true identity. Anger, procrastination, OCD, controlling behaviors, rigidity, constant pleasure-seeking…have all been veneers for various fears I was holding onto but afraid to face. 

In this case, it was my seeming inability to sit down and begin the preparation work for these images. Initially, I had written it off as being too busy with other things. When that excuse was no longer working I then went into various machinations involving my using the time to gather more ideas and usher in a creative flow. One day I was sorting through some acrylic paints inventorying what I needed to replace and I accidentally picked up one of my watercolor vials and a rush of anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks. Beneath it was the palpable sensation of fear.  

The fear was a wake=up call and a reminder. It let me know exactly “why” I hadn’t been working the sketches for this series because I was afraid to get started because I was afraid to fail. I was afraid to dive in because I haven’t used watercolors in over a year and I wasn’t sure if I could get back into the medium and produce anything value. As any artist will tell you, watercolor is an extremely difficult medium and most painters try their best to stay away from it. Although watercolor has been my preferred medium since college, it does take time and failures to really master and I had been focusing on developing my acrylic skills while trying to complete my “Chakra” series.  

This sudden realization and the subsequent acknowledgment of my fear broke its power over me and allowed me to not only admit it, but more importantly to face-it and thereby release its energy from being. This was release was the catalyst for my steps to begin delving into the bread and butter of this new series. These 3 initial images are not as polished as some of my previous endeavors but they are powerful representatives of a return to watercolor. Stay tuned for my three in this series as you be privy to the transformations that will occur as the series progresses.

These three images feature the lovely and extremely athletic yogini Zen Forbes of “In with Zen” Yoga. 

Pincha Mayurasna – Forearm Stand

Salamba Shirshasana – Head Stand

Virabhadrasana II – Warrior II

**To purchase prints click here

My new series has begun!

My new “Asana” series has officially begun!

The image depicted above is the first piece to be completed in my new Asana series. The last time I reached out, I spoke about my intention to begin collaborating with the Yoginis who have formed the entity Black to Yoga – Maureen Miller, Kirsten Rogers, and Zenovia Forbes. 

This initial reaching out led to the completion of three sessions of photos shoots. I shot loads of reference photos for the coming series and completed some sketches for layouts. The images are HOT, and I have been so inspired that I could hardly wait to begin painting! 

The inspiration for the series hit me about 10 years ago. I had only recently been introduced to yoga by a former partner and I was amazed at how much my limited knowledge and intermittent practice had already begun to have a profound effect on me. At my partner’s suggestion, I borrowed her copy of “Light on Yoga” by B.K.S. Iyengar and then began sketching images of various poses I found in some photographic journals on yoga. Some weeks later, in the midst of a sketch it suddenly struck me, “Why aren’t you producing your own images and interpretations of these poses?” and from that moment on,  the fire began to burn. 

As any creative will testify, inspiration is more often than not- a fickle, fleeting, elusive thing. Just like a cat, it rarely comes just because you call it. The lightning of inspiration does strike but you never really know where or when. Hence the reason most of us rush to strike while the iron is hot. But this fire has been burning for almost 10 years!

Every time I wanted to begin working on the images, circumstances always appeared to block my way. I often spoke about it to yoga students and instructors who entered my studio – and some even offered to model for me. But for some reason, the timing and the offers just didn’t feel right. Something in my spirit would not find ease with those opportunities. but I still kept feeling inspired to work on the series. 

However, there is something to be said for waiting.  The deep inner knowing within us always makes its desires known at the perfect time if we are willing to patiently wait, watch, and listen. I now understand the reason(s) for the delay. My heart was in the right place, my intentions were noble and sound, but I lacked the knowledge, sufficient development in my own yoga practice, and internal maturity needed to pursue this project in a manner that would do it justice. Some things can only be learned and developed through trial and experience and I was simply not yet ready. We often don’t know what we don’t yet know.  Thanks be to Spirit for growth, maturity, and waiting!   

This is the first image in the acrylic images of the Asana series (there will be a much larger watercolor series as well). It is a 30 x 30 – inch acrylic image that was begun live during my first attempt at live painting! The image was initiated at “Yoga After Dark” a monthly event conducted by Black to Yoga. I will be the resident “live painter” at these events for the next 3-4 months so come check me out sometime soon. 

The initiated live painting with model Kirsten Rogers

The completed live painting with model Kirsten Rogers