Buddhist & Taoist Art

[effilang]

Hello everyone,

 

I really enjoy looking at Buddhism and Taoism inspired artwork.

 

If you have anything that you can post here, images directly not links, if possible, please do : )

 

 

 

[zerostao]

[Nanashi]

I posted this recent painting by me in an off-topic thread last night, but it seems topical here.

 

 

And here are a couple paintings I am a fan of:

 

Ogata Gekko's Dragon Rising to Heaven (Ryu Sho Ten)

 

 

Shingai's Universe (Uchu)

 

[zerostao]

i do like the chinese brush art idk if it is taoist or buddhist ??

but the use of color with the brush strokes either on silk or paper

(old chinese paper) cool stuff.

[Marblehead]

Picture deleted.

 

Edited December 6, 2015 by Marblehead

[effilang]

Nanashi! Dragon Rising is beautiful! Thank you : )

[Golden Path]

Taoist mountains - Art picture gallery:

 

http://www.all-dao.ru/gallerys/mountains1/index.html

[manitou]

 

This is a type of art that comes out of the ethers. I did this without looking at the paper I was drawing on, but by putting my ink to paper, just looking at Tom. what I know of Tom was that he was a U.S. Marshall, he's recently retired, and he's clueless. He's lost in a world of darkness right now because he's changing and doesn't realize it. The picture was done also by letting my hand have full sway over where it wanted to go. What occurs is that strange shapes come out of the background, which are telling about the subject.

Tom is half Chinese, on his father's side. He swears by the pharmacists of TCM, and he does honor this form of medicine. But his attitude is still very cop-like and he's judgmental toward everyone and everybody.

The background information contained within the picture reads from upper right (to where the Marshall's star is), down from the star (note the backward smokey question-mark which seems to illustrate his cluelessness - he doesn't even know the questions to ask. He's still all cop. The right side of the picture shows him wearing a military style garment; the buttons appear to be coin-like, which I interpret as 'change', since they resemble coins. The cup at the bottom right is for the Karma Cafe in Pennsylvania, where he has met all of us strange types. There's a part of him that blows us off, but there's another part of him that's intrigued by the ethereal discussions we get into at the Karma.

 

The 'drain' on the lower left (that's what I thought it was when the form first presented in the drawing) - I interpreted it at the time that his old cop identity was ready to go 'down the drain'. Little did I realize at the time of this painting that the 'drain' is actually a bagua for wind? The winds of change? Also, if you notice up on the right shoulder (it would be his actual left shoulder) that his uniform has a dark spot in it, as though it is 'coming apart at the seams'. I believe this to be true of Tom's identity at some level, although he like to appear fully in control.

 

The left side of the picture shows him wearing another type of garment - perhaps one you would more associate with an old Chinese master - that's the vibe it gives off to me.

 

The fact that the yin-yang symbol being the basis for the entire drawing, this was intentional on my part. That's the only part of the drawing that was intentional.

 

The green dragon on the upper left side (the end of the story from right to left) is obviously that part of his nature that he has yet to come in contact with. He is loath to participate in philosophical discussions about the Tao or anything else along those lines - yet it is there waiting for him.

 

I call these unintentional drawings. The forms do come out of the ethers and tell a story. It's rather magic.

 

P.S. - I'm so sorry this picture is so small. I'm really illiterate when it comes to resizing things and inserting things. This was the best I could do

Edited July 6, 2011 by manitou

[Marblehead]

Picture deleted.

 

Edited December 6, 2015 by Marblehead

[Simple_Jack]

 

Immortal/Dharma protector Lu Dong Bin.

[Simple_Jack]

 

Vajrapani

Edited July 6, 2011 by Simple_Jack

[Simple_Jack]

 

Buddhist Art called "Inquiring the Way"

[Simple_Jack]

 

"Ancient Monastery"

[Simple_Jack]

 

Guan Yin (Avalokitesvara)

[Simple_Jack]

 

Bodhidharma

[Simple_Jack]

 

Majushri Crossing the Sea

[Simple_Jack]

i do like the chinese brush art idk if it is taoist or buddhist ??

but the use of color with the brush strokes either on silk or paper

(old chinese paper) cool stuff.

 

I would just say "Chinese." Both Chinese Taoists and Buddhists did brush art.

[Nanashi]

Manitou: how lovely; you are a good artist. Do you have any more to share?

 

I like how Tom's silhouette resembles that of an Alfred Hitchcock shows' opening caricature. Also familiar is the "tortured genius" look in his eyes, and accompanying bags under the eyes. Mystery and excitement is my overall impression, intelligence and sorrow.

 

The drain, I think, looks a lot like the I-Ching triagram Chen-- coincidence?

 

With my painting, I started with an enso (zen circle) then spontaneously kept going-- adding the taiji, and something I don't usually do: add color. The blues represent water and spiral movement/energy. I am fond of painting/drawing with little thought about it beforehand, and seeing where the brush-mind takes it.

[Golden Path]

23 pictures with mountain tigers:

 

http://www.all-dao.ru/gallerys/tigers2/index.html?detectflash=false&

[manitou]

 

The drain, I think, looks a lot like the I-Ching triagram Chen-- coincidence?

 

With my painting, I started with an enso (zen circle) then spontaneously kept going-- adding the taiji, and something I don't usually do: add color. The blues represent water and spiral movement/energy. I am fond of painting/drawing with little thought about it beforehand, and seeing where the brush-mind takes it.

 

Thank you so much, Nanashi - and your impressions of Tom are most insightful.

 

I didn't know of the significance of the trigram at the time I drew this, it was before I read anything on the I Ching. I've since come to read that that particular bagua is wind? (I don't know what Chen is, although I do remember seeing the word often in my recent reading.)

 

I believe the true artist within is the one that wants to come out without forethought - it seems to want to capture the synchronicity of the moment. Your style of painting and mine are similar in that sense. An exercise I've been recently doing is playing the keyboard with my eyes closed. Finding order in the chaos is a challenge that continues to amaze me.