Seeing a painting is like meeting a person for the first time, something within us either clicks or it doesn’t. On the outside it is the subject matter that we are attracted to or not, the colors, the texture, the magic of illusion, the story (that gets activated within ourselves), a memory perhaps, the tone […]
acrylic on styrofoam,32 x 17 x 2 (depth) inch,(81,2 x 43 x 5 cm) One result of the experiment painting on styrofoam, the other is still in work. Really liked the texture of the cloth that got gessoed underneath. Wish I could find some more pieces. I painted around the 2 inch edges and should […]
Loving the soundof soft and forceful rains,the smell of earthreminding me oftrees and forestsand lakes oflong forgotten landsof my childhood. Washing awaymy memory ofthings that weredear, of thingsthat never end.Eternity isa long time goneby fast. Heart pounding in therhythm of drops fallingrunlets marking thelowest point movingin slow motionquietly washing awaythe last memory ofseparation. Why is […]
Finally got around watching this interview of Rainn Wilson on the Oprah Soul series. He noticed when talking with young people that there is a great under-explored “kind of” believe in god. And even for grown ups it is still odd to be asking “lives big questions”. He is all for “individual investigation of truth” […]
acrylic, mixed media on paper,H 24 x W 20 inch (61 x 51cm)
mixed media collage on paper, 8.5 x 12 inch
Accompanied a friend to follow an invitation to meet Swami Veda Bharati, filling in for her husband who couldn’t go. Had just started making breakfast, so packed it up and went 😉 and didn’t regret it. He was very moving. We came towards the end of the class, right in the middle of meditation (don’t […]
Concert of the Camerata Pacifica at the Zipper Hall in Downtown Los Angeles. Apart from Mozart and Brahms, what was really captivating was Lera Auerbach (b.1973) with her composition for Violoncello (Ani Aznavoorian, which I have seen and heard a few times and absolutely adore) and piano (Warren Jones). Lera Auerbach writes about the last […]
Happy Holi, the festival of colors celebrated in India. I love colors. Happy splashing with colors of any type, happy vibrations, happy creativity… “Colour and I are one. I am a painter.”Paul Klee, 1914. “Colour helps to express light, not the physical phenomenon, but the only light that really exists, that in the artist’s brain.”Henri […]
acrylic, mixed media on paper, H 24 x W 20 inch (61 x 51cm)
Nasreddin sat on a river bank when someone shouted to him from the opposite side:– “Hey! how do I get to the other side?”– “You are on the other side!” Nasreddin shouted back.
Felt good to be working in the garden again, lots of weeds, grass is growing all over since the rains. Trying carrots this year, a few more corn than last year to have extra for the hungry squirrels, also put seeds of string beans and sweet peas. Kohlrabi planted before winter came thru well, and […]
Have been experimenting with Styrofoam covered with cloth and gesso as a ground for painting, and its been very interesting insofar that it makes the acrylic behave almost like oil because it dries a lot slower. This could turn out the perfect in a dry climate like LA. The idea to use it came because […]
Last night was Shivaratri. “… it is white night, it is not dark night. Shiva means white. Ratri means night. It is that night which is bright night, it is white night, it is not dark night, it is not black night. Shiva Ratri means white night, where there is drama, where there is light, […]
acylic on canvas, 20 x 24 inch
wishing for oceans, waterfalls, rainsending up laying face down in puddlessmelling the moist mud squishing between toes barefoot we cameand barefeet we leavebut with the smell of earth in our nose (Its been raining so much, but we need a lot more here in LA to avoid a draught this year.)
Reading “Home with God, a life that never ends” by Neale Donald Walsch, the same author that wrote “Conversations with God”, and this time he is talking about death… “Death is the biggest mystery of life. Unlocking that mystery unlocks everything. Once you answer most of the questions you’ve ever had about death, you’ll have answered […]
One of the Sufis‘ favorite metaphors is the dangerous ego-self (al-nafs) as a dog that the Sufi strives to tame and subdue. This seems very similar to the story about the two wolfs that is being told in the next story, so perhaps there is a universal metaphor here. An old Cherokee is teaching his […]
Und meine Seele spannteweit ihre Flügel aus,flog durch die stillen Landeals flöge sie nach Haus… And my soul tightlyspread her wings,flew through the silent landsas if she was flying home… Joseph von Eichendorff “Freedom and Fear”20 x 20 inch (51 x 51 cm)acrylic, mixed media on canvas, ready to hang (painted around the edges)
I like the term “unreasonable happiness”, from the book “way of the peaceful warrior” by Dan Millman. . . “A warrior can rely on the power of love, of kindness, of service – and the power of happiness.” “You cannot attain Happiness; it attains you – but only after you surrender everything else.” “Wake up! […]
Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Rainer Maria Rilke The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. Anais Nin The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. Albert Einstein
A very interessting article in Yoga Journal daily today talks about Yoga and Tantra rising in the west and its origin and meaning… read more here. Posted using ShareThis
From Japanese Garden Very meditative just to sit and look at the water. Lucky it wasn’t raining or perhaps it would have made it even more magical. It started at midnight… drop, drop, drop… What a heavenly sound in a quasi desert of LA. The earth and the plants need it, and we need it […]
This was one of a series of paintings that emerged as I was exploring intuitive painting. One can feel comfort and love even in the midst of terrible things happening in the world or around us. Like birds huddled together when the storm comes. The red represents danger but also warmth. The inside reflects outside. […]
So long as we do not die to ourselves,and so long as we identify with someone or something,we shall never be free.The spiritual way is not for those wrapped up in exterior life. Farid ud Din Attar (1119 – 1230?) saint and mystic, one of the most voluminous authors in Persian literature on religious topics. His […]
Longing is the core of mystery.Longing itself brings the cure.The only rule is, Suffer the pain. Your desire must be disciplined,and what you want to happenin time, sacrificed.Rumi – The Essential Rumi – Coleman Barks Meister Eckhart said, “God is the sigh in the soul,”and this sigh, this sorrow, is a most precious poison….(source) O […]
Watching the beautifully done documentary about India,“the story of India” by Michael Wood, who is so excited and informative at the same time. The website is also very very well done.It started with the origins of civilization spreading out from africa all the way to South India, where it remained genetically unaltered for centuries. “In Tamil Nadu the latest […]
Summer has come in the middle of winter, they call it santa anna winds, coming from the desert.
acrylic, mixed media on canvas 24 x 20 inch Hand is above hand, child, in skill and in strength,up to the Essence of God.The ultimate end of all hands is the Hand of God:the ultimate end of all torrents is undoubtedly the sea.From it the clouds take their origin,and in it, too, the torrent has […]
This is the promise, they say when you remember God, when you don’t give up hope, when you remain “broken” instead of fixing it all… Let sorrowful longing dwell in your heart, never give up, never losing hope. The Beloved says, “The broken ones are My darlings.” Crush your heart, be broken! ~Shaikh Abu […]
Auf der Strassevom Gestern zum Heuteder Koffer zu schwerder Daumen kaum gehobenfegt es mich davon.Muss ich auf meine Seele warten?Sie reist ohne Koffer aber schwerist ihr Gang und zeitenlos. Was bleibt zurückvon dem Abschied zu nehmenso wichtig erscheint?Was erwartet michwo das Begrüssungswortnoch nicht gesprochen? Gestern kam ich von Gesternheute stecke ich festkann erst morgen weitergehn. […]
(This film was shot entirely on a cell phone, on the streets of NY + Sydney, each word being captured by signs of those cities plus pictures that say more than words) ‘Mankind is no Island.’This story is about 2 cities divided by a great ocean united by hope, hunger.Through your eyes our city is […]
Was macht meine Fragein Deinen Augendas Lächeln um Deinen Mundwenn ich fröhlich bindie Trauer über Deine Sorgenstehen in meinem Gesicht geschriebenerschrocken blicke ich mich anin Dir habe ich mich gefunden. What is my questiondoing in your eyesthe smile on your facewhen I am joyfulthe sadness about your worriesare written in my facelooking at me frightenedI […]
Finished the last drawing class… “The work of seeing is doneNow practice heart workUpon those images captive within you.” (Rainer Maria Rilke)
I started the figure drawing class different this time, maybe drawn in by the models attitude. I choose a small paper pad and instead of drawing from a safe distance I sat right under her nose almost. I wanted to be really close to see, really see this time. I was not trying to draw […]
Wedding portraitacrylic on canvas 20 x 24 inch Finished! As promised there is my gift for my Brother and his wife’s wedding. There will be a baby soon I heard! Maybe that will be another painting…. 😉
CIMG8694.JPGOriginally uploaded by claudia dose … with my own hand on my own foot. I hope I will get better than this as my rusty hand is coming back to life and the pen sits more fluent in it.
We are in the middle of preparations for our annual Celebration in honor of our spiritual master. We have one in May and another in September or October (depending on the moon date), this one needs more preparations since we are performing a fire ceremony (in the garden!). Also we are hosting a few days […]
Had a productive silent day all to myself. Took advantage of space and time to sort and toss thru my closet, then clean the room and, then only then could I bring my current paintings up from the garage/studio to paint undisturbed and with natural light rather than fluorescent. The portrait for my brother and his wife is […]
We had a garage sale on Saturday. Been so busy schlepping furniture and boxes. Good for chasing away any sad thoughts. Got bold enough to put my prints out for sale and actually sold some. I am thinking of having a sale of prints online pretty soon.
Shocked about the sudden death of our nephew in Australia. He was only nine years old.At least he is resting in peace.I can only imagine how his parents must be feeling, even “from the distance” I am deeply saddened by their loss. It is hard to believe that there is any sense in him leaving […]
CIMG8546.JPGOriginally uploaded by claudia dose Had a great 7 days holiday with my “family” in a cabin in Mariposa near Yosemite, really comfortable place with everything we needed to relax. We were lucky the fires had stopped just before we arrived. We could still see some scorched mountains from the house and some more burned […]
Wow! Reading the book “many lives, many masters” by Brian L. Weiss. M. D. is amazing. Not so much the idea of rebirth, I am familiar with it since my childhood for some unknown reason, but the messages of the masters in-between each live are quite profound. They are not talking about new things, same […]
Spend the morning lifting boxes out of the garage and rummaging through suitcases and sorting stuff for our upcoming garage sale. Wasn't that bad, my back seems all right and I had finished before afternoon so still enough time to paint on the portrait of my brother and his wife. It's coming along quicker than I thought. […]
This song is going around in my head. In Germany they call it an “earworm” (Ohrwurm) 😉
Visiting art show about Indian Artists in two galleries with friends. We where fascinated by some of the meditative paintings.
I don’t remember ever learning how to do contour drawings before. They look awful. Yet I am learning some important lessons; Slow down and actually look. We are not supposed to look at the drawing, which I find very hart but I better not. I try to make it a meditative study. How long can […]
Yes, I am back to school. I haven’t been taking lessons in drawing for some years and thought I needed a refresher. My hand has become clumsy and slow. I also just needed to get out of the house and be creative or else I would have gone mad. Working on a second attempt of […]
This is my new studio space, Yuhu!Finally a place to create undisturbed.
We visited friends in Australia and their new daughter was the inspiration for a portrait I did when I got home. A few photos were helpful as I worked long after the visit. I took the freedom to experiment with the background and keep it more expressive that is why she came out so red, […]
gardenview Originally uploaded by claudia dose. Planting loads of flowers and thinking what to do with the new veggie patch, have seeds coming up and need to organize it.
A giant heap of compost is waiting for me outside. The flower beds are screaming, “yay!” My back is screaming, “Oh, no!” This shall keep me busy for the next weeks.
Having so much fun with a new book I got on my birthday, scribbles.
Enjoy listening and watching Oprah discuss the new book “a new earth” with the author Eckhart Tolle.It kind of feels right to be going positive and more alert when all around the tendency is going the other way.I had a few revelations reading the book, especially the concept of “painbody” that we all carry around. […]
Have been absent from the blog for quite some time so this is a back entry to catch up on what happened… I flew to Germany to attend my brother’s wedding, had a good time in Bremen (where I am from) and just pretending to be a tourist while strolling around town with my friend […]
blue blob with frameOriginally uploaded by claudia dose Some days are like that…I enjoy reading “care of the soul” by Thomas Moore. He says in his book…“For the soul, then, beauty is not defined as pleasantness of form but rather as the quality in things that invites absorption and contemplation. Soetsu Yanagi, founder of Japan’s […]
Very interesting read over at my friend Sarah’s blog about tending our dreams versa realizing our dreams has me thinking. I really like the idea of tending, and putting more awareness into the things I am doing, from clothes to what I eat, what books I read and even which thoughts I am having. I […]
Sometimes… sometimes Originally uploaded by claudia dose I am not sure what it is… I am not sure what it is! Originally uploaded by claudia dose
So, I did go wild and worked on my decoupage box….
I have never in my life painted so many people. They are not very detailed but still, they have to look right. I have a couple of references, I was lucky that I took so many pictures the last time I was in Kashmir at the Havan (fire ceremony) and those come handy now because […]
Very interessting read over at my friend Sarah‘s blog about tending our dreams versa realizing our dreams has me thinking. I really like the idea of tending, and putting more awareness into the things I am doing, from the way I wear my clothes to the choice of my meals, what books I read and […]
painted shoes I was reading Dr. Laura Schlessingers books about “bad childhood good life” and how woman screw up their lives and how to tend marriage etc. The author is to the point and in your face but in a good way and I learned a lot from reading it. Putting stuff in perspective. Though […]
I am not really into all the Christmas buzz, and we are having silent days instead this year, but couldn’t help myself when I saw these cutouts at http://www.dominomag.com. Here are the instructions… [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.claudiadose.com/cs/wp-content/uploads/how-to-make-animal-ornaments_-DIY-Projects_-dominomag.com_.pdf” title=”how to make animal ornaments_ DIY Projects_ dominomag.com”]
New Picture of Ananda Moya Ma and of cause I need to change it to get that sweet smile of hers.
Was looking forward to going to the famous Bellingen market and finally did, but got the date mixed up and so there was no market on. I still enjoyed the trip through the country and seeing the lovely Bellingen river.
It is so sweet to meet the prayer group of my mother in law, who come together in her house every week to pray for other people. People that call them with their problems but who they hardly know are being thought of with such compassion and heart. They are creating such a loving atmosphere […]
I am so excited about swimming in the ocean and the sun on my skin that just to get the most out of it and had to get myself a bikini, the first in my whole live! That’s how nice it is here at this time of the year. Just perfect temperatures for me. […]
Just finished a little decoupage project. A friend was teaching a little group of us and this is probably not exactly what she had in mind but I kind of liked it in the end. It is a little round container with a lid. I used some of my sketches printed out as a starting […]
Started on the details of devotees listening to Abhinavagupta. I wasn’t sure if women and men should be sitting separately, as it is the custom now in most of the ashrams, so I decided to mix it a little. Continued on the layers in the background and some more distinguished brushwork on land, and I […]
Here it is with the lotus ponds in place, was easy work to dig them out and plant some… Next thing will be more difficult, adding people on the left and right. Right now they are only “balloon-heads”.
Continued with painting the clouds, the mountains and the water and some of the grass, with blue and then again with white and acrylic gloss. I wanted to get the same clouded feeling that I get from the pictures and from my memory, foggy sort of and disappearing in the distance into a beautiful blue […]
Continued with painting the clouds, the mountains and the water and some of the grass, with blue and then again with white and acrylic gloss. I wanted to get the same clouded feeling that I get from the pictures and from my memory, foggy sort of and disappearing in the distance into a beautiful blue […]
Yep, thats me, as a friend of mine pointed out. The song reminds her of our spiritual Teacher and the way we can never get enough of him. “You’r in my blood like holy wine….” Kind of all very much fits except for the part of being in the bar which we were changing into […]
Swami Ram, Swami Lakshmanjoo, Swami Mahatabkak
Traditionally in Kashmir there is always a rug or a cloth with a traditional pattern for people to sit on.
On the top is the finished transferred carpet in place already, on the bottom the print was just glued down ready to be washed off with water and sponge. You can see the spray bottle in the picture but because I took it all upside down it is upside down. And Voila! New Carpets… Traditionally […]
CIMG1624 Originally uploaded by claudia dose. inkjet print transfer didn’t quite work
CIMG1634 Originally uploaded by claudia dose. laser printer transfer was better, this one got rubbed too much and the print came off
CIMG1620 Originally uploaded by claudia dose. After the first mishap with heat transfer I “practiced” a little on the back to see what would work and how. You can see the sponges in action.
CIMG1619 Originally uploaded by claudia dose.
Working on the underground/carpets in Abhinavaguptas painting I wanted one of those traditional carpets laid out and couldn’t imagine doing a good job painting the whole thing so thought of other ways to do it professional looking when I remembered doing decoupage and ink transfer might work. CIMG1624 Originally uploaded by claudia dose. I tried […]
CIMG1620 Originally uploaded by claudia dose. After the first mishap with heat transfer I “practiced” a little on the back to see what would work and how. You can see the sponges in action.
What a mess. That didn’t work. Trying to iron down the heat transfer melted parts of the acrylic and stuck it to the paper I had used to avoid it sticking to the iron because I had been warned. And there was no way that it would stick evenly to the surface. I had to […]
Designing the carpets in the the painting in Photoshop was easy. My idea was to use heat transfer, that way it would look detailed and neat.
Etsujin. Covered with the flowers,Instantly I’d like to dieIn this dream of ours! http://www.toyomasu.com/haiku/#etsujin
different styles… n n
Some more details in the dutties (female consorts) hands (holding a lemon and a lotus flower). I did a few photographs (not easy to hold those two things) then I pasted them into a photo of the painting in Photoshop and painted from the printout. Lately I have worked more this way. I works […]
I had been busy preparing for the annual membership screening at G25, Los Angeles Art Association. I was thinking about doing it for a while before I got the guts to do it. I really like their opportunities for “emerging Artist”, to get to know other artist and learn more about the “art world’ out […]
Really got into details now with those. I had taken some photos in Kashmir in the last years of different people that came handy now. I pasted them into the photo of the painting at the present stage. Worked on it in Photoshop and changed dresses etc. until I liked it and then printed it […]
Continued on the big Abhinavagupta painting. Here I worked on his hand gesture after I found a picture of Jesus and liked his hand gesture. It seems to fit within the description. I still need to add the Rudraksha rosary around his hand and perhaps a bit of jewelry. I changed the duties (spiritual consorts). […]
“I find one vast garden spread out all over the universe.All plants, all human beings, all higher mind bodiesare about in this garden in various ways ,each has his own uniqueness and beauty.Their presence and variety give me great delight.Every one of you adds with his special feature to the glory of the garden.” “My […]
Very beautiful! Have you seen this yet?
Reading “woman of power and grace”, nine astonishing, inspiring luminaries of our time, by Timothy Conway. All of them from different religions. The first one was an Italian nun who at the age of seven has a near-death experience as she nearly drowns and mysteriously was thrown back out of the water. After that, she […]
worship Originally uploaded by claudia dose. The retreat was great. We watched videos of the Bhagavad Gita, my favorite text and also listened to Shivastotravali, which is beautifully devotional. The discussions that followed were very practical and interesting. I had a great time doing the dishes and keeping everything tidy. The food we prepared was […]
This is a large, full-body portrait of Swami Lakshmanjoo and it’s his 100th centenary Birthday coming up on the 9th of May 2007. He is also my spiritual teacher, and although he left this world before I could meet him, I feel very much guided by him and his teachings. I am very fortunate to […]
Couldn’t get to my painting so I spend the time uploading some of my art to art.com and etsy.comCheck it out and let me know what you think.
I am a little nervous today as I am welcoming internationally known author, speaker and creativity coach Eric Maisel, Ph.D. to my humble blog, he will be answering my questions about his new book, Ten Zen Seconds. So I have been preparing a big pot of Kashmiri tea for us and here we go… But […]
It’s going, I am not sure where, and its slow, painfully slow. Abhinavagupta sure doesn’t make it easy on me. Neither do all the other people in the picture, I don’t even know them but they seem to know me. As soon as I am working on one the other is screaming, “and what about […]
I am exited to be having a famous guest on my humble blog, next week, on Monday the 23rd of April. Eric Maisel is introducing his new book, Ten Zen Seconds, in form of a blog tour. It seems it is the first of this kind and I think it is a brilliant idea. The […]
