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Friday, September 30, 2011

Vaisnavis inspiradoras: A Poesia, Filosofia e Arte de Madhava Priya



     
     Madhava Priya nasceu Rebecca Ann Todd, a filha de uma mãe artista. Ela cresceu desenhando cavalos e a natureza, daí pintando paisagens,  estudando desenho anatômico da figura humana na faculdade, e, conforme o tempo passava, explorando vários estilos e copiando vários mestres em busca de sua própria temática e estilo.

     Ela queria expressar um significado espiritual em sua arte, mas não tinha uma idéia clara de como fazer isso. Assim, em 1984 ela encontrou o movimento Hare Krishna, e os livros de Sua Divina Graça A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Os livros de Prabhupada abriram um novo mundo, um mundo do sentido último da vida, e de um Deus pessoal que é ilimitadamente bonito e tem passatempos ilimitados com todo o drama  que qualquer artista poderia querer. Era o que ela estava procurando: não só material artístico satisfatório, mas um significado pessoal e fé também. Finalmente ela tinha encontrado algo que  pudesse abraçar de todo coração e dedicar sua vida.

    
     Em 1985 ela foi iniciada e recebeu o nome de Madhava Priya devi dasi. Em 1987 ela teve a oportunidade de pintar duas pinturas do Décimo Canto do Srimad Bhagavatam. Mais tarde, ela ilustrou vários livros pequenos com desenhos em preto e branco, especialmente "Você não é este corpo" por Bir Krishna das Goswami, de quem ela recebeu segunda iniciação.
     Alguns anos atrás ela foi contratada para pintar oito grandes pinturas,  ou pequenos murais, para um novo templo Hare Krishna  que estava abrindo em Fiji. Ao longo dos anos, Madhava Priya continuou a pintar Krishna, sempre com a idéia de compartilhar e difundir o conhecimento da consciência de Krishna.


     Uma de suas obras de arte inclui um mapa interativo da Colina de Govardhan que, conforme você clica nas diferentes partes da pintura,  ela mostra detalhes sobre os locais onde aconteceram os passatempos de Krishna , como você pode ver clicando na pintura abaixo:



     Ela dá aulas do Bhagavad Gita e escreveu e publicou um guia de estudo para o Bhagavad Gita Como Ele É, chamado Bhagavad-Gita em 3D (que está disponível aqui). Ela também escreve poesia como A História do Bhagavad Gita em poema, entre outros.


     Durante vários anos, ela e seu marido tiveram um centro de pregação em Little Five Points, Atlanta, Georgia (EUA). Ela agora reside com seu marido Krsnasraya das (que foi conhecido por muitos em Little Five Points como o Yogi Christopher) no oeste do Michigan. Você pode conferir mais sobre sua arte em seu site A Glimpse of Krishna.


Sua serva
Vaisnava Krpa devi dasi

Inspiring Vaisnavis: The Poetry, Philosophy and Art of Madhava Priya


     
     Madhava Priya was born Rebecca Ann Todd, the daughter of an artist mother. She grew up drawing horses and nature, then painting landscapes, then studying figure drawing in college, and, as time passed, exploring various styles and emulating various masters in search of her own subject matter and style.

     She wanted to express a spiritual meaning in her art, but did not have a clear idea how to do it.Then in 1984 she encountered the Hare Krishna movement, and the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Prabhupada's books opened a whole new world, a world of the ultimate meaning of life, and of a personal God who is unlimitedly beautiful and has unlimited pastimes with all the drama any artist could want. It was what she was looking for: not only satisfying artistic material, but personal meaning and faith as well. At last she had found something she could embrace wholeheartedly and dedicate her life to.
    
    
 In 1985 she was initiated and given the name Madhava Priya devi dasi. In 1987 she had the opportunity to paint two pictures for the Tenth Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Later she illustrated several small books in black and white line drawings, especially “You’re Not That Body” by Bir Krishna das Goswami, from whom she received second level initiation.


     A few years ago she was commissioned to paint 8 large paintings, or small murals, for a new Hare Krishna temple opening in Fiji. Over the years Madhava Priya has continued to paint Krishna, always with the idea of sharing and spreading the knowledge of Krishna consciousness.


  One of her artworks includes an interactive map of Govardhan Hill, which as you click on the different parts of the painting, it shows details about the spots where Krishna's pastimes took place, as you can see by clicking on the painting below:



     She teaches Bhagavad Gita classes and has written and published a study guide for the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, called Bhagavad-Gita in 3D (which is available Here). She also writes poetry like The Story of the Bhagavad-Gita  as a poem, among others.


          For several years she and her husband had a preaching center in Little Five Points, Atlanta, Georgia (USA). She now resides with her husband Krsnasraya das (who was known to many in Little Five Points as Yogi Christopher) in western Michigan. You can check out more about her art on her website A Glimpse of Krishna


Your servant 
Vaisnava Krpa devi dasi


Monday, September 26, 2011

Gopi Dots Art - 12 Useful Design Patterns






      Gopi dots are traditional designes that usually goes over the brow extending accross the forehead and down to the temples and the top of your cheekbones, but you can also decorate parts of the body as arms and legs. 


It can be used to decorate deities or people's face. 



You can use alternating colored dots, or just one color, It's normally used a special ink made of plants, called Kumkum:



Bellow you can find 12 simple and useful patterns for Gopi dots:




1) The Hump:



Learn to love your Hump, and practice humping for speed and accuracy!







Wind humps around a dot to make daisyhumps or around a circle to make poseyhumps.







Practice humping along the edge of a wavy line with perfectly even humps. Humping on the edge of a figure is a great cover-up for a less-than-perfect borderline.




Example of Hump pattern





2) The Seed


The Seed is a little blob of ink.








You can make different Seeds.




Plant rows of Seeds,  bloom into flowers and curl along vines.






  
 Seeds often have pulp or shells around them.




Seeds and fine lines make beautiful flowers.




Seed patterns.


Seed patterns.


Seed patterns.




Seeds forming a beautiful flower on Krishna's cheeks.



2) The ZiggyZoggy: 

  


In India, repeating ZiggyZoggies symbolize the rainy season, water, fertility, and abundance. Learn yourZiggyZoggy!

Combine the ZiggyZoggy with humps and smaller ZiggyZoggies



Example of  white Up and Down ZiggyZoggy alternate with pink and yellow Seeds.

3) The Mummy:









The Mummy, the letter M, is versatile and beautiful! Have fun with your Mummy!

 Practice your mummies straight up, cursive handwriting. Put "The Curse of the Mummy" onto a line to make a graceful half leaf. Practice downward lines, and double Mummifications.






Put Mummies on a wavy line, on bumps or  mummify Swirls




Mummify Flowers


The Third Mummy flower above on Krishna's cheek.


Just colored Mummys



4: The Sprout


The Sprout looks like a sprouting seed or a comma with a long tail. Sprouts are a tasty addition to gopi dots!








Make a Sprout by swirling the painting brush, then continuing the swirl out in a
long comma.




Sprout from curls






Sprouts on Krishna's forehead and creating a flower on His cheeks.




 Sprouts alternate with crystals


5) The ?S?S?


This pattern is variously interpreted as a vine, meander, pothook, or a scorpion.






You can make a repeating series of SSSSSSS, alternate S?S?S?S?S?, or make S?'s facing each other.


Make SSSS's over an arch or around an irregular shape.





Add Scorpion Stings, Combine S's with Humps,  SproutsZiggyZoggies and
Mummies for infinite variations.






Example of alternate S?S?S?S?S?



6) The Cursive S


A curvy is a thing of beauty!





Try making tight flowers, fat flowers, kick-flowers and skinny flowers. Kick up the tail of your S, down a wavy vine!



7)The Ripple:








Make ripples with blossoms floating in the water.



 Ripple with a lot Tribbles (as you see bellow) and  flowers made of 6 Seeds around a dot.



8) Tribbles:



The tribble is a cute little pattern.






Twirl to the left, twirl to the right, twirl to the top and pull the Tribble's tail!




The excited Tribbles are jumping up and down and holding their tails very high! Tribbles can spin about and pretend to be grapevines. Start with one or two, and suddenly they're everywhere!

9) The Kiss:


This pattern is useful for flower petals, honeycomb fills, and other sweet things.


Rotate four, five, six "Kisses" around a single point or even eight "Kisses" around a center.




If you can rotate your "Kiss" perfectly, you can make a pretty flower! Kisses can also make a blossom unfold.




The Kiss Flower above on Krishna's cheeks.





Kisses used to create a lotus flower around Krishna's eyes.


Kisses and dots.



11) The Open Heart:


                                                        
It’s a heart that doesn't close at the bottom point.

You can double them up, cluster open hearts to make leaves or spin open hearts around in a circle to have lovely flowers. 





Flower petals made of Open Hearts

  

Flower petals made of Open Hearts ( on Krishna's cheeks)




Flower petals made of Open Hearts ( on Krishna's cheeks)


12) Pug Tails




You see this when the pug thinks he's going to get a treat!





Practice a row of Pug Tails,  Upsy-Downsy Pug Tails and make a row of diminishing Pug Tails. 




You can stack it, sprout it or get leaves and flowers stuck in their tails.



Pug tails make pretty bases for leaves and flowers and paisleys.








 The Pug tail Flower above ( on left) on Krishna's cheek.




Pug tails decorating Krishna's leg.



A row of Pug tails




Pug tails and Seeds.




Pug tails and flowers.





Pug tails and flowers.




Now you can pick your paints and brushes up and get to work!


Your servant

Vaisnava Krpa devi dasi