Repost

I have also become interested in Buddhism and meditation (the painting and the Buddhism both reactions to depression). After a very angry piece on Bush and his comrades in crime I felt I needed something peaceful. I started a piece with the idea that it would reflect a Rumi poem. Rumi was a mystical Sufi poet in the 13th century and his poetry is magical. He wasn't Buddhist of course but he is very sympatico.

It is the second thing I ever did last April when I started painting. It took forever to finish. I painted, then sanded off the paint. Painted over, tried this and that. I never got tired of it or frustrated. I knew the quote I was going to use and that seemed to keep me calm.

I posted this earlier but the picture was terrible. The surface of the piece is very smooth -- I sanded it with 1600 grit wet/dry sandpaper leaving it like glass. The top right corner is done using "crackle" available at your local Lowe's or Home Depot.

"Rumi #1" Mixed media, acrylic and latex house paint on discarded plywood cabinet front. Finished with hard wood floor varnish.