Wednesday 30 July 2008

Anahata


AS SOME of you may have read, I have been commissioned to paint the seven chakras personified.
The whole project is to take place over some time, so that there is a development within me as I paint each one, working my way through the seven points. They are being painted in oils on Ikea breadboards!
You can see my first three in the series here and here.

I did not know a huge amount about this old Sanskrit mapping of the body and spirit before undertaking this job, and my commissioner (I shall call him Bob) is very knowledgeable about all the intricate aspects of the yoga and meditation he studies, as well as the spiritual symbolisms behind it all.
As well as this he is an ex-drawing pupil of mine and a maths and science teacher too.
A while back when I posted the third of my paintings for this series, some of you commented that it might be interesting to read his eloquent reflections on my works. I am not used to such detailed, interesting and thoughtful responses to commissioned work, so it is always a delight to hear back from Bob when he has received each painting, and he sees things in a quite different way from me. I paint my interpretations of each chakra and its meaning, whereas Bob is able to put into words (with a mathematical brain too) what he sees and feels in each piece.

I thought with the fourth and latest of these paintings I would also include a selection of these kind and insightful responses, which he has written and agreed to be shared. You need to click on them to read at full size.


13 comments:

Shelley Noble said...

Stunning as usual. A beautiful appreciation as well.

Elva Undine said...

Gorgeous! The green in the first photo drew me right in. What a shade.

Elizabeth said...

I have been catching up on your bog - my new computer can get it easily - the old one couldn't.
Your clock is stunning.
Also the paintings based on Sanskrit and yoga.
Yes, the world of Alice is very haunting indeed.
I think I prefer through the looking glass. Thank you for introducing me to the illustrator.

tut-tut said...

I'm very inspired by all of your art . . . I'm trying to learn to draw on my own.

Barbara Martin said...

This blog is very interesting, and will continue to return to read the remainder of your posts. This place you have made is wonderful!

Tess Kincaid said...

Wow...the breadboards are perfect. Fabulous!

Anonymous said...

Something distracted me when I was reading the first of the Chakras posts and I didn't get back until yesterday.
They remind me a little (but not much) of early icons.While recognisable as being Sanskrit-based they are undeniably "Rima." So I think you have achieved your aim of melding East-West.
No wonder your client likes them.

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Great paintings and such feedback! Would it would be quite gratifying. Good use Ikea breadboard.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful project! I love your work and find your web site wonderful!

Ciara Brehony said...

Rima, these are incredible! So beautiful. And I love how you can see the thought that you put into them, and the attention to detail, which is then echoed in 'Bob's' response to them. Now there is someone who appreciates what you have done. Very mutually satisfying I would say!

Anonymous said...

That's the best use I've ever seen of something from Ikea! Seriously though, they are absolutley wonderful and it's so lovely the owner of them senses their magic. An odd coincidence, I dreamt of a little girl last night whose name was Chakra!x

DrBobUK said...

Thanks Rima. Thanks for accepting the commission, for the wonderful execution of the images and now for the weaving of the images with my responses. I'm smiling to think that somehow this is a negative of what I imagine the process of book illustration to be, with your pictures prompting words rather than vice-versa

Morna Crites-Moore said...

I like your idea of placing the horizon at the level of the chakra - nice.