~A Story~

Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of death and destruction was away at a war. His wife Pavarti, who was a goddess in her own right, wished to bathe. Having no-one to guard the door to her apartments she conceived of the idea of giving birth to a son who could provide this service for her. Thus Ganesh was created, since goddesses have the power to do such things.

Pavarti gave Ganesh instructions that he was to stand guard at the entrance of her apartments and that he was to admit no-one until she gave word that it was OK to do so. Ganesh took up his post and undertook his assignment enthusiastically.

In due course the Lord Shiva returned from his war and went to enter. Ganesh, according to his instructions, forbade him entry. Shiva was enraged by Ganesh’s impudence and drew his sword and cut off Ganesh's head.

Pavarti emerged to find Ganesh decapitated and flew into a rage. Even though he was immensely powerful Shiva was upset with Pavarti’s rage. He swore to make amends by taking the head of the first living thing he found to replace Ganesh’s head. The first animal he came across was an elephant. Accordingly he took the head from the elephant an placed it on Ganesh’s body.

Thus Ganesh is depicted with an elephant’s head. Because of his role as protector of Parvarti's door he is associated, in Hindu culture, with protecting entrances.

"Paint Peace"

48"/48" acrylic/origami paper on canvas, 2008

I just finished this painting after two and a half months on it. This is a really long time for me to spend on something that isn't a stone sculpture but the initial idea kept morphing. Originally it was gonna be based on a fortune cookie fortune my friend texted me "my heart is a place to draw true happiness(thanks Harmony)" but there was something wrong with that composition, it didn't have enough of something so I destroyed it. There was also other stuff but at this point I forget what else got buried under more levels of paint.
The piece changed for *good after I biked in to and participated in the Peace Rally on the Common a couple of months ago, my face is in the lower left corner with my hand radiating out two HUGE peace fingers, many middle Eastern flags are next to me such as Iran, Pakistan, Israel and Iran along with the American flag. My bike (of course) takes center stage in between my fingers in a somewhat surrealist way (tire is too small) and the other tire behind my head, like a byzantine holy person with silver and gold spokes radiating out from my cranium. Also the themes of doves and gold mystic hearts are also present in this piece. I really like this painting, I'm starting another one, same size and I just hope I can do it faster but I guess quantity does not always mean quality.........................

Nepal's Buddha boy returns to jungle to meditate

*This article is a little confusing to me but I thought I would pass it on to our community! Let me know what you think of it........

KATMANDU, Nepal – A Nepalese teenager revered by many as a reincarnation of Buddha has returned to the jungle to meditate after emerging for less than two weeks, officials said Saturday.

Ram Bahadur Bamjan, 18, reappeared on Nov. 10 after several months of meditation to bless thousands of his followers, speaking to them on at least two occasions.

He made his last appearance on Friday and then returned to the jungle to meditate, said Biswo Prakash Newpane, a government administrator in the area. It was not clear when he would return again.

His followers lined up near the jungle of Ratanpur, about 100 miles south of Katmandu, to be blessed by Bamjan. He tapped the believers on their forehead but did not speak to them individually.

The followers believe he has been meditating without food and water since he was first spotted in the jungles of southern Nepal in 2005. Believers say he spent months without moving, sitting with his eyes closed beneath a tree.

Buddhism, which has about 325 million followers, teaches that every soul is reincarnated after death in another bodily form.

But several Buddhist scholars have been skeptical of the claims that Bamjan is a reincarnation of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in southwestern Nepal roughly 2,500 years ago and became revered as the Buddha, or Enlightened One.

Rakesh, a Buddhist scholar, told the Associated Press last week that being Buddha means the last birth and the highest level that can be achieved and there can be no reincarnation of Buddha, even though Buddhists believe in life after death.

~In the Flow~

I have been seriously enjoying the energy since last Friday. Walden Pond goodness, peace rally mayhem, W. Owl Farm healing heart energy, Rockport Selenite/Gopichand energy, full *Sparkling moon Gathering on Wyman st, new creative energy in front of the easel and Beautiful weather.................
To Quote REM which is playing on the radio " I Am SUPERMAN..................."

-love and light and serious props to all of us who are exchanging energies on this time/space frequency called Planet Earth!

Seven Stars*******

I've added Several more larger/older paintings to the walls of
"Seven Stars" Books in Central square
731 Mass ave.

near 1369 coffee house.

*They are marinating in energy on the walls next to an abundant Crystal collection............

Bike Dream

"Bike Dream"
40"x40"
acrylic, origami paper, glitter on Canvas
2008

The dream of bikes, of us trying to be more pro-active in getting around and not depending on oil. A bike as an extension of a person's behavior, a third leg, an intuitive thing, a grea8t invention! My bike dream contains a women, butt up in the air, face turned over, one breast revealed and three birds, one on the handlebars. A moment in my libido/space time, the sun illuminating every inch, framing this snapshot from my unconscious onto this Canvas..... Interested in any feedback and or "constructive" criticism. -Sigmund/Scott.

Art talk!

This week feels more like the beginning of September then mid-August. I have been teaching everyday at the museum "educating public school teachers" about media and methods of sculpture. I was asked to present a lunchtime lecture tomorrow on "the history of sculpture" in forty-five minutes =Ha! After about two hours worth of prep(paid) and scrounging around art books from my shelves with big pictures and some old art history texts from the University of Vermont I am ready! Starting off course with the Venus of Willendorf(25000 bce) can you believe how old? ANyway just packing five large books into my backpack brought me back over ten years to my school daze, and a daze it was! A peaceful feeling exists for me in the confines of this backpack and the knowledge I hope to impart to others tomorrow, hopefully without too much nervous mumbling! -S.

Change is Good by Jeff Haynes

Lots of people change majors in college.
But rarely is the change of the magnitude lived by Somerville artist Scott Cahaly. When he started out as a biology major, Scott was in a dark place. Caught in the grip of depression, he managed to find some relief from an unexpected source: an art course taken to satisfy curriculum requirements.
What started as a form of therapy evolved into an entirely new direction for Scott. He described the experience as “opening a valve” that taps straight into his creativity. And now “it’s my job to let it well up from inside,” he said.
The change was so profound that metamorphosis remains a common theme in his work. One of his favorite quotes is, “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly,” by Richard Bach.

By the time he left the University of Vermont, he had already had his first one-man show. Some of those pieces decorate the halls outside the studio where he has been for the past several years. The colors in his paintings are bold and vibrant, with a style that emulates stained glass windows or a form of mosaic. As both a sculptor and a painter, Scott said he conceptualizes all of his projects as three dimensional. As a result, the subjects in his paintings -- however abstract -- have crisp and well defined edges.

Scott draws inspiration from historical greats, such as Pablo Picasso and Michelangelo, as well as whatever is going on in his own life, he said. That includes everything from travels to relationships to adventures on his brand new bike.
And he is not one to meticulously map out every inch of the canvas before he begins.
“Each piece has its own spirit and destination,” Scott said. “It always just takes me. I never know what I’m getting into.”
Preparing himself for work typically means first allowing for a period of quiet meditation. That helps Scott avoid “over thinking” the work, so he can “go with how it feels” instead, he said.
“It’s a process of getting out of the way,” Scott said. “It’s so easy to get away from a creative path.”

HIS FIRST TIME
Scott was only 9 years old, and had been watching his older brother make paper airplanes. He learned a particularly successful design, and proceeded to make over a dozen of them.
“It was the first time I could feel my hands going to work,” he said. Scott took the finished planes to school to share with his friends -- a move that provided nearly instant and positive feedback on his work.



HIS WORST TIME
During his high school years, Scott had a sketch pad he used to illustrate comic book characters. The fun of the experience led him to consider taking a class to explore art further.
One of his friends, however, squashed that idea. After Scott showed his drawings to the friend, the friend replied, “Those aren’t good. You won’t be happy in art class.”

-story and photo by Jeff Haynes web.mac.com/jeffhaynes

Car inspection sticker insanity!

Yesterday my brother pointed out to me that my car inspection sticker was two months expired. I was like, wow, good call. So this morning I went to my regular inspection gas station near my studio to find out they don't do it anymore. Then I went to a new place on Broadway in Winterhill, dropped the car off and went to Dunkin Donuts for coffee and bagel. I Return to the garage, this middle Eastern guy is telling me to come in and says he can't pass my car for inspection and is gonna flunk me. I said why, he said I had a license plate light out, which I did and up till that point didn't even realize it was there. Then he walks me up front and says I need two new washer blades. Then we did a test and to me they seemed fine and he kept saying they were leaving too much water on the glass and that he could get held responsible... blah, blah....
So at this point I thought he was trying to soak me for another twenty dollars, so the dispute proliferated till we were yelling at each other, me telling him I wasn't gonna fall for this and that my old blades look fine. I was vexed because when your car doesn't pass you still have to pay, he was gonna make me pay anyway for his five minutes of inspection so I tried to call the cops but the service station wouldn't let me, and then a light went off......... I am barely awake, I'm screaming and being screamed at by this guy all about an issue I may or may not be right about. I found my center and told him to replace them along with the license plate light. Gonna need to let this one slide off my energy for awhile and felt like posting it here............................ -peace, Scott.

Prayer

I am calm and centered. I gather my energy within me, and it fills me with a golden glow. I open my connection to my higher self and feel the deep intention that lies there. I bring that intention down and into me, so that I am filled with who I am..

I feel my own power burning within me, calm and true, resolved and purposeful. I am strong and capable and can accomplish whatever I choose to do. I am relaxed and deeply aware and open to the wonderful new information and opportunities that flow to me minute by minute. I am power. I am peace. I am a deep connection to all that is... I am! -LW