"Tara in Kona" – Faith Stone
White Tara has seven eyes; two on her feet, two on her palms, and two on her face plus her third eye in the center of her forehead. This gives her great ability to see and be aware of those in need. She is the female Buddha and is invoked for long life and to cultivate loving-kindness. Tara is said to have been born from Chenrezig tears. Chenrezig having made a commitment to remain until all sentient beings attain enlightenment was discouraged to see how many beings were still trapped in the cycle of samsara.
Faith is one of the few people in the world still making Buddha woodblocks. The sole surviving monastery in Tibet, Derge, has primarily turned to sutras, though they do have some antique thangka woodblocks. Thangka woodblocks are one of the main disciplines of thangka art: painted, appliqué, nag than (black background), ser than (red background), and woodblocks. The woodblocks have become a dying art but her mission is to revitalize the tradition. It still exists in Nepal but almost exclusively as prayer flags.
Faith Stone approaches carving and painting Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as a meditative sadhana. The idea is that the artist creates an environment for the deity to move in. The artwork no longer belongs to the artist, it belongs to the deity. Practicing sadhana with sacred art is incredibly helpful for the aspirant.
Details:
Dimensions: 22" w x 28" h
Medium: Mokuhanga woodblock, hand-rubbed onto Japanese Kozo paper using a bamboo baren, original hand-painted woodblock. Not a digital reproduction.
Titled, numbered, and signed by the artist.
Prices in US dollars.