altar collection
The Buddha Altar print has been in my collection now for a few years. I originally painted it in the summer of 2013. I usually retire prints after this much time, but it’s been a favorite of mine, as well as customers. I do, however, come across people who immediately eliminate it as a choice when they’re making their selection of prints to purchase. The image of Buddha, or perhaps something spiritually related, is not for everyone. This struck me as an interesting phenomenon, after seeing it unfold at several shows, and while filling wholesale orders. It would go something like, “Yes, I love the green color, just no Buddha please.” This led me to contemplate what we worship, pray to, or reflect on, that brings us inner peace. What sits on our altars? A couple of posts back I spoke about nature and how being in nature was a transforming experience for me. When I think about the times in my life that I’ve felt most lifted up and light-filled – the moments when I’ve found a deep knowing and comfort about life, even amidst chaos – they’ve been circumstances when I’m connected to nature and wildlife, connected to my own power, or been in the company of those I love. These are my altars – my places of devotion and meditation. With this in mind, I sat down a few weeks ago and started painting tiny altars for these images to sit upon.
Wild Altar is a celebration of the untamed. The gray wolf, being my favorite animal, was my natural choice to symbolize all wildlife. A mother and pup surrounded by feathers, great evergreens, and the shining moon.
Divine Feminine Altar honors the inner power all women possess. An energy and intuition that, once recognized, can profoundly shift our relationship with ourselves, others, and life.
Mother Earth Altar celebrates our awe-inspiring planet, the source of all life. The week I was painting these, I found, amongst the weeds, a single tall bearded Iris. It had been trampled by a storm the night before and the stem was snapped in half. I brought it home and in that moment, I had never seen anything so perfect.
Love Altar symbolizes a reverence for the greatest force on earth – love. A love of family, friends, oneself, our fur babies, neighbors, strangers…the world as a whole. We are nothing without it, and everything within it.
Buddha Altar is where this collection all began. For me, the Buddha Altar represents inner peace, and it encompasses the collective feeling that all of the above images evoke.
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My altar collection is printed on ~ natural cotton towels ~ wall hangings & cards.
