Buddha the Lifegiver is one of my favorite paintings. It was one of those which just “shot” their way out of me.

Oil on 8x4 feet canvas (244x 122 cm)

All of us we're creative in certain way, so we know how it feels, when things are not flowing. Some call it artist's block. I call it- time to get out of your head and stop over-thinking it.

On the other hand, you probably know how it feels when things just fly out of you, as if it wasn't even you doing it, but the big Mama Universe herself through your hands (or mind if your craft is more on the mental level).

What a wonderful ride! Time ceases to exist and mind is silent like a sleeping baby. Yet things go fast, so fast that the heart sings and rejoices at the sheer sight of the new creation being brought to the light of the day. Hunger fades, thirst fades, desires fade. All that's left is the cosmic longing to put that goddamn calling on canvas. Oh what a blessing, what a gift from Universe to be struck by this lightning.

Detail of the bottom left corner, mama lioness with her cub, cheetah mama and elephants in the background. My most favorite is the little guy looking up in the corner. Is it a lemur? I can't tell, but I love him :)

And so it was with Buddha the Lifegiver. In my meditation I saw the vision of huge Buddha with beautiful serene face, covered with butterflies, sitting in savanna with waterfall coming over his shoulder, streaming down his arm to his fingertips, where animals come to drink.

Bottom right section, gazelle coming to drink from Buddha's hand.

The sky came so fast, maybe in just one day. The hardest job was the front plane with all the animals and details. My goal was to make it as shiny as The Enlightened One's heart, which is quite possible with oil painting.
Overall, it took me about two weeks to finish. That is not long at all having in regard that this is a layered oil painting (requires the drying time in between, sometimes several days) 8 feet long.

Close up of the middle section of the painting. Rhino mom and Elephant mom. Buffaloes in the back and giraffes in the last plane.

As my appreciation of your presence here on my blog, I would like to give you a little ending story about Truth, hoping that it will make you feel good.

The shadow of doubt, worry, concern and confusion is the path of eventual exhaustion. Like the Buddha, you must study, discipline yourself, climb and exert yourself to get to the top, only to realize that the answer was there all along, even before you began.
Truth is everywhere. There is nothing that is not Truth. Whatever happens to you, whatever you feel in the moment, however delirious or disturbing, it is nothing but Truth. Truth is all there is.

Butterflies!

In the human expression, Truth really is the most precious and beautiful of all experiences, because of its vast, vast relaxedness. It is like resting under a tree on a warm balmy evening after walking all day long. You gaze out at the sun setting into the sea, or the wind nestling into the leaves at your feet, or the stream purling softly over time-lapped rocks.
With Truth, the inner journey – the attempt to follow the doubt right back up to its source high in the mountains and moors- comes to an end.

Half way through. About to attack the grass and butterflies and other details in first plane. Beaming with joy!

Relax my friends. You hold the Truth already. You have all the answers already.
And you are loved by a Love so fierce, that you mind cannot encompass it.

Thank you for reading and following me,

Much Love,
Jan

100% steem, 100% Love
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P.S.: Buddha the Lifegiver is the big brother (he came first) of Buddha the Sustainer, his polar opposite. If you look well, you will notice that the cloud in Buddha the Lifegiver's sky, continues to the arctic ocean of the Buddha the Sustainer. Yes, they fit together, as one huge puzzle piece.
Here is my blog about Buddha the Sustainer:
https://steemit.com/art/@jankasparec/buddha-the-sustainer-original-art-the-story-of-three-magi-and-invitation-to-mooji

Bad picture (too dark & flash reflection), but you can get an idea about how they look together!