arts at aryaloka
Aryaloka has a deep commitment to the contemplative arts – supporting the art process, creativity, and artistic expression as tools for communicating spiritual insights and, in the process of creation, dropping the self.
Green Tara, by Tom Gaillard
Freezing a moment in the face of impermanence and change is, to me, one of the fascinating things about photography. The challenge is to choose a moment, a composition, a perspective that captures the imagination and pleases the eye. My photograph “Green Tara”, one of several from an upcoming exhibit at Aryaloka, was taken using a handheld flashlight, colored glass used as a filter, and an exposure lasting several minutes. In a way, this Green Tara never existed; in “real time” she was shrouded in darkness as my flashlight painted first one area, then another. In a world of impermanence she never existed at all but is somehow real. ― Tom Gaillard
“Visions of Impermanence,” an art exhibit featuring photographs by mitra Tom Gaillard and oil paintings by mitra Deb Howard will be on display at Aryaloka from April 19 through May 26. All are invited to attend the opening reception with the artists on Sunday, April 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. Artwork will be on display weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. or by appointment (603) 659 5456.
We surely know that to be alive among things is a gift; yet it’s a gift we so often fail to unwrap. To defamiliarize it is to unwrap it, so we no longer see what we already know or believe but rather see directly, or less indirectly.
Yellow Buddha, by Deb Howard
― Henry Shukman
For me, painting, like meditation, is about learning to really see clearly. Instead of painting what I think I know, I try to see what is in front of me here, now, in the gift of this fleeting moment. The world is so much more than we normally perceive in our limited habitual way of looking at it. Through making art, I try to expand my perception, see things anew and recognize the freshness in every moment. When I paint on site, I am thinking, “what does it feel like to be here in this moment, unwrapping this gift of life?” This is true in meditation as well; the object is just to be in the moment with what is there. In The Zen of Seeing Frederick Frank writes, “I have learned that what I have not drawn I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle: the branching of a tree, the structure of a dandelion’s seed puff.” page 14
This is true for me as well. Through art, the most familiar things can become a source of wonder. So both creating art and meditating can become sources of deep joy and gratitude. ― Deb Howard
poetry corner Emily Dickinson Heard a Fly Buzz by Dh. Kavyadrishti
On the day that I die what else will I do? After breakfast I will brush my teeth. I will give a stranger an extra quarter for his parking meter. I will use real maple syrup. I will postpone telling you what I’ve always wanted you to know. Vajra Bell, Spring 2016