HOWARD'S PHOTOS

Hi, my brother-in-law, Howard, is an awesome photographer. Here is one of his recent shots. He works on his pics for a long time in his darkroom. This shot is of the Philadelphia Waterworks.  That's the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the hill.  More of his pics can be seen here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/howard_batchelor/ . Enjoy. Roy

2 PAINTINGS

Hi, Here are two paintings from the last few days. I'm working on another DREAM PAINTING. The dream world is so interesting. Where am I? Who am I? What am I?

"Once I, Chuang Tzu, dreamed I was a butterfly and was happy as a butterfly. I was conscious that I was quite pleased with myself, but I did not know that I was Tzu. Suddenly I awoke, and there was I, visibly Tzu. I do not know whether it was Tzu dreaming that he was a butterfly or the butterfly dreaming that he was Tzu."

VARIATIONS: latest paintings

Good morning. Here are three "dream" paintings for you to see: variations on a dream theme.

My painting on Ebay

Good Morning. Here are my current auctions on Ebay. Simply click to look.Thanks. Roy

clickable thumbnails created at www.navpics.com

• Click on a picture to visit that auction
• Roll the mouse over a picture for a larger image

BUDDHA

How to contemplate our conditioned existence in this fleeting world:

"Like a tiny drop of dew, or a bubble floating in a stream; 
Like a flash of lightning in a summer cloud, 
or a flickering lamp, an illusion, a phantom, or a dream."

"So is all conditioned existence to be seen."
 Buddha

DREAM PAINTINGS

These recent paintings are from my DREAM PAINTINGS series. In our dreams the faces, and the situations we encounter seem to be "real."  Yet the DREAM WORLD has a logic of its own. In these paintings I try to depict the colors, the forms and the textures of the DREAM WORLD. I hope that you enjoy looking. Roy

THE GREAT WAY

Good morning, the following text is from the Buddhist tradition. It was written hundreds of years ago by a Chinese Zen teacher named Hsin-hsin Ming, who was the third Zen patriarch.  To me, it is a wonderful treatise on the unhindered mind, which is our natural condition, our freedom. It is also a "sadhana" presenting a method enabling us to perhaps get a glimpse into our unfettered mind.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading and perhaps contemplating The Great Way. The painting is SIX PERSIMMONS by MU CHI. The "Tao" is the Chinese word for "The Great Way."

The great Way is not difficult for those who are have no preferences.
Let go of wanting and avoiding, and everything will be perfectly clear.
But make the slightest distinction and heaven and earth are set infintely apart.

If you want truth, don't be for or against anything.
The idea of good and evil is the primary disease of the mind.
If you don't grasp the deeper meaning, you trouble your minds complacency.
The infinite is perfect and lacks nothing.
But because you select and reject, you can't perceive the true nature of existence.

Don't be entangled in the world; but don't lose yourself in emptiness.
Be at peace in the oneness of things and all errors will disappear by themselves.

If you don't live the Tao, you fall into right and wrong.
Asserting that the world is real, you are forget its deeper reality;
Denying that the world is real, you are fail to see to the integrity of all things.

The more you think about these matters, the farther you are from the truth.
Step aside from all thinking, and there is nowhere you can't go.
Returning to the root, you find the meaning;
chasing appearances, you lose the source.

At the moment of profound insight, you transcend both appearance and emptiness.
Don't keep searching for the truth; just let go of your opinions.

When the mind is in harmony with the Tao, all self centeredness disappears.
With no doubting self, you can trust the universe completely.
You realize at once you are free, with nothing left to hold on to.
All is empty, brilliant, perfect in its own being.
In the world of things as they are, there is no self or non self.
If you want to describe its essence, the best you can say is "Not-two."
In this "Not-two" nothing is separate, and nothing in the world is excluded.

The Masters of all times and places have entered into this truth.
In it there is no gain or loss; one instant is ten thousand years.
There is no here, no there; infinity is right before your eyes.
The tiny is as large as the vast when objective boundaries have vanished;
the vast is as small as the tiny when you don't have external limits.
Being is an aspect of non-being; non-being is no different from being.
Until you understand this truth, you won't see anything clearly.
One is all; all are one. When you realize this, what reason for holiness or wisdom?
The mind of absolute openness is beyond all thought, all striving,
it is perfectly at peace, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.
  

"HEAD" with CLOUDY SKY

SUNFLOWER with CRESCENT MOON

Hi, I am on vacation from work this week. I completed this SUNFLOWER painting and listed it on Ebay. I am working on another painting now in my BASQUIAT inspired "HEAD" series. I'll show you soon. Oh well, here is a sneak preview! Bye, Roy ps If you have a moment check out my ebay auction. Thanks.

SUNFLOWER with CRESCENT MOON painting  23"x 35" Certain themes seem to occur over and over in my paintings. Often an idea occurs to me and then I let the painting happen. The painting, in a sense, tells me what it needs for completion. This sunflower painting, with stars and a crescent moon, is bright and meditative, and has a surreal quality to it. To me flowers are nature's mandalas. This painting is very large, "23.5 x 35.5" on sheet of paper. It is painted with high quality tempera paint (RICH ART PAINT,very hard to get.) Thanks for looking and please check out my auctions. Roy

MY PAINTINGS OF CATS

Good morning.  I'm just taking a moment before getting ready to go to work to show you some of my cat paintings. I have always loved to watch cats and enjoy their company. It might sound strange but I never met a cat that I didn't like! I hope you enjoy looking at these paintings. Roy

STILL LIFE with ORANGE and FLOWERS

This is a black and white still life that I painted.  I decided to "colorize" certain areas of the painting.  What do you think? It is 14" x 22" tempera paint on heavy paper. I have this painting and some others on Ebay, please click on this link to view them.  More soon.  Roy   http://www.ebay.com/sch/roymitchellpainter/m.html?item=261219939466&pt=Art_Paintings&hash=item3cd1ebf48a&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

PAINTING FOR MYRA

This painting is for my good friend Myra who has been a steadfast supporter of my artistic endeavor for many years. She feels that I am selling my paintings much too cheaply.  Her most recent concern was that I was possibly going to conduct a mandala creation workshop without charging enough (or charging at all!) In a recent email to me she included the phrase "NO MONEY, NO MANDALAS" which reverberated in my head like an ancient Sanskrit mantra, all morning long. After awhile I was singing it to the tune of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry." Anyway here is the PAINTING FOR MYRA. (the original is on its way to Myra, no charge.) I do so appreciate her concern and her commentaries on my paintings.  Thanks

MIDNIGHT FLOWER PAINTING

Good Morning. By dipping into the silent depths of our being, there dawns the realization that there is no solid fixed entity called "I" or "me." The self image arises and passes just like the clouds moving through the space of the sky.  As we learn to let go of the grasping at a self image, even for a moment, we are re-tuned, returned, to an underlying sense of peace or fullness. Peace.

WOMAN BUDDHA DRAWING

Good Morning. This charcoal drawing is 18"x24" coated with a mixture of clear and orange shellac.  It depicts a woman's face.  Her mood is meditative, absorbed in the inner place of peace.  Through meditation practice the cravings and aversions of the conditioned mind are released and and a glimpse of our innate fullness is tasted.  Roy

New SUNFLOWER with SUN painting

BASQUIAT and CAT painting

Here is a very large painting of mine for you to see. I find that by studying the painting styles of other artists I can get under the surface of their paintings for a deeper understanding of their techniques and their point of view, so to speak. This painting depicts the artist Jean Michel Basquiat with his Siamese cat on his lap. It was painted in the style of Basquiat, inspired by a wonderful photo of Basquiat with his cat. You can view the photo clicking here. This bright, colorful, mixed media painting is on a large 47"x 60" sheet of paper. The paint I used is a high quality tempera paint with oil pastel accents. It is signed and dated.  I have listed it on Ebay, too.  Here is the link http://www.ebay.com/itm/261200395365?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649.  Thanks for looking. Roy

STILL LIFE with GUITAR

Good morning. Louis, the cat, finally allowed me to finish the painting!  Its 18"x24" high quality tempera paint on heavy paper.  It depicts some things that I love; the cloudy sky, the ocean, overripe bananas and my classical guitar that I rescued from a yard sale last summer.

Please feel free to comment or send an email to me. Thanks for looking.  Roy

LOUIS, THE CAT

I am on vacation this week visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Pennsylvania.  I often feel very creative when I come here.... but Louis, THE CAT, will not let me draw!  I'll show you the finished picture soon.... if Louis lets me!

SUNFLOWER SUN FOR COLD MORNING

Good Morning.  Its a cold morning here on Long Island. I finished this SUNFLOWER SUN painting this past weekend. It is bright and has a mandala feeling about it. I hope it brightens up the morning! It is 22"x28", painted with high quality tempera paint. Roy

“Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside.”

― Ramana Maharshi

LILIES for WEDNESDAY MORNING

Wednesday morning and snow is in the forecast for today.  Here are some Calla lilies that I painted.  Please feel free to leave comments or send an email message to me to share your thoughts and interests. Bye. Roy

PIGEON PAINTINGS

Good Morning.  Just a few moments before I leave for work.  These paintings were inspired by Picasso's PIGEON

COOP paintings. He lived in a villa on the Mediterranean sea. The pigeons must have loved their view of the sea! The first painting below is by Picasso.  Mine follow. Please enjoy the view. My paintings are approx. 24x36" mixed media.