PANCHA TATTVA.....THE ELEMENTAL ART

I had been deeply attracted to the ancient vedic  principles …the writings ..the symbolic representations in the mythological stories …the rituals and  the scientific reasoning behind every  Mantra…( the formula)….Yantra ..(the mechanics) and  Tantra….  (The Technique).

Whenever I discussed  our ancient Hindu Mythology ..with modern people who follow the age old traditions with a lot of faith ;...I came to a realization that their lies a deep and vast science behind every faith. And science always has a backing of reasoning and logic.

The modern generation who thinks of contemporary art as a future …also has so much in common to the age old artists who used the technique of symbolic representation to spread the message.

This creation..... is inspired by an ancient principle of The Panch Tattva… the five elements and the harmony and rhythm  of the five elements which is essential  for Life…for …Nature….as well as For Universe to  exist.

The  Buddha (The Enlightened one)  Occupying the center of the five elements…The Prithvi..(Earth)…. Jal…(water)…Agni..(Fire)……Vayu..(Wind)…and   Aakash..(sky) ..is a symbolic representation of the undifferentiated universal  principle of  Thruth….Peace..and Consciousness.

The ultimate reality yet to be realized within every living entity is the source of this symbolic creation.

When I thought of doing  the Pancha Tattva…I thought of using a deity as the central representation of truth . I feel that deities must be entities endowed with supernatural power but not yet liberated….So ..they must have attained liberation…Nirvana…thru human incarnation. They are real entities who act as a portal to the ultimate Reality….And….. The humans the assemblage of the tangible five great Elements…..Hardness(earth)….Moisture (Water)…Heat (Fire)…Breath (Air)….Interstices (Sky) …and the center of it all is the intangible Spirit…..THE SOUL.

All phenomena can be classified into one of the five great elements. 

When I attached myself to  the Principle of Pancha Tattva….I found myself using the symbolized elements in a different form ….

I used Imagination….which is as infinite as  the (Sky Element)…Passion to reach out…(like the Fire Element)….Skills and techniques like the (Water Element)…Inner Force of Action….(Like the Wind Element)…..and the backup of Knowledge…that of the (Earth Element). In the center I find myself....on a different plane of thought.

This is a message …to everyone …who are aware of this principle but have stopped realizing the importance of these five elements which are present within each one of us waiting to be engaged…in understanding and achieving a much higher goal.  The Consciousness!!!!!

As I Breathe in Strength, Confidence and Blue Skies. My fears vanish in the Vibrant Light of My Being

Before I begin my panting, I play around with small paper pieces. I "Play around" with color and design;. I make sure to keep the fun in painting. I got the idea to do daily painting warmups by watching athletes warm up. Before doing strenuous competition, athletes, dancers, actors and musicians all do warmup exercises. Why not painters?

I have found that it's a good way to ease into doing a much larger painting.- pure playing around play with no intentions other than stretching my imagination.

There is one more warming up which I do before getting on to any creative Endeavour….

There is a list of Happy ,Positive Inspiring word ..which I go thru…..choose some and feel each of them.

When I made this painting….

I tried  to  Visualize  Radiant, Positive Images, for which I  also had to Feel as if…. Bright, Sparkling Energy is flowing into me. I inhaled some  Sunshine …... took a  Breath of  Bliss…filled it  into every pore of my  body!.

Visualized  Luminous, Beautiful images, scenes, flowers or Angels! Felt  the White Light …. Luminous Pastel Light Colors suffusing my  entire body and making every cell in my body Yodel with Delight! I feel like the Rangoli  that has been Colored in all the  Hues of the Rainbow!

.......I thought…. If you are going to Visualize and Feel, you might as well make it as Enjoyable and as Electric as possible!

REALISM

1. I was just 6 yrs old….when I visited my maternal Grandfathers house in Dhulia….i was so much attracted to the huge portrait of Shri Madhavrao Pawar….my mothers grandfather….in the huge hall….Diwan khana…..I kept on standing in front of the frame…which must be 6 times bigger to me …than.   Come to me…Mona …I will tell u his stories….said a heavy voice!....I looked back and  my grandfather…my moms Mamaji…who looked similar to the person in the picture…stood besides me with open arms.
2. His stories were …as if I was reading a book ….but none came to the point where an artist came …made Mr Madhavrao sit on the wooden carved chair and painted his portrait……I just kept waiting…but that episode just did not come.
3. In the mean while I was spotting differences and similarity between the father and sons face….dint know why but thought …that when ever this person is going to make his portrait….i am going to be their and be with the painter to tell him those differences.  
4. Those days….  Having a portrait of your family members in the house must be a mark of being in the high society I guess….everyone in my family had the honor to have a portrait…….
5. The second encounter with portraits was at my fathers ancestral house in Drayapur…Deshmukhancha wada …the eyes of the people in the portrait had such a  captivating glance.
6. The Tata house at Fort Mumbai was the third encounter of portraits….where I spent 2 full days amongst the great Gurus of the management world….The faces so bright and Brilliance oozing out!!
7. Amaaazing.!!
8. The first portrait I tried my hands on was of Mr JRD Tata.
9.  This takes diligent effort and layering of colors…painting, pondering, adjusting, looking again, and working toward the truth. As Giorgio Morandi (1889-1964) said, “You can travel the world and see nothing. To achieve understanding, it is necessary not to see many things but to look hard at what you do see.”
10. For over a hundred years we have been bombarded with realism, and expressing through portraits and still-life paintings…             ….
11. So many times there was a question on whether there is any need to paint a portrait in todays day when photographs can be blown up…
12. To answer to those who question the “value/purpose/point of  realism: I think that realism …well.. it is an attempt to recreate life. Does that make sense? It is, after all, what realism is about: to convey to the viewer a sense of something that is “more real than real life”. It gives a different HIGH !!..There’s something very satisfying in painting something that so accurately imitates life that people have to look twice to tell that it’s actually a painting and not a photo….hope to get to that level some day….
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