Buddha Painting

May this serene image of the compassionate Buddha bring peace to your home. During the late 1990s, I helped a Buddhist friend prepare several of her books on Buddhism for publication by editing the English. In doing so, I was introduced to Buddhism and Vipassana meditation. This led to my illustrating her book titled Practicing the Dhamma with a View to Nibbana, in which she explains the extraordinary effort of the Bodhisatta, as an aspiring Buddha, to achieve the perfections necessary to reach Buddhahood. I also created an illustration of The Great Renunciation which was published as a calendar. Since then, I have painted many images of the gentle Lord Buddha. In this painting, he is depicted in the robes of a monk, with leaves evoking the Bodhi Tree which sheltered him as he sat to attain liberation. This work is painted on dark green iridescent taffeta with black undertones. It can be framed under glass or sewn as a wall hanging. Works that I have painted on taffeta have proven to remain beautiful and be very durable as wall hangings.