Buddha's Tears

Painted in 1996 using acrylics on paper. Inspired by "Life, Paint and Passion"
by Michele Cassou


This book encouraged me to paint using a small paint brush on a large sheet of paper and to let the painting emerge without knowing what was going to go where.

I exhibited several of them but, considering them very personal, I marked them all as not for sale. Someone I've known for a long time (since 1984 I think) did express an interest in this one but I wouldn't sell at the time. I was too attached to it. Ironic given the Budhha's teachings! But then I'm not a Buddhist...

On Sunday evening I was writing in my journal, wondering about doing some more pictures in this manner, inspired by Carla's recent horse picture which she described as a result of the challenge to "create art spontaneously, directed only by the spirit within". I then recalled this picture and thought I really ought to give it to my friend. I wrote in my journal that I would, but he is out of town at the moment, not due back until September. The last time I'd heard from him by email was an invitation to his 40th birthday do in January this year, the time before that was in 2003 so it was a lovley synchronicity that he wrote on Monday to let me know that his wife is pregnant! I have of course replied and offered him this picture if he is still interested in it.



Another synchronicity today was reading Wandering Coyote's posting mentioning homeless people which had brought up the issue of how people get to be in that situation and in the comments someone had mentioned the drug and drink problems that tend to go with it.

I then turned on radio 4 and heard On the Ropes with John Humphrys talking to Clarissa Dickson-Wright about "alcoholism, domestic violence and how to spend more than a £1 million". She had an abusive alcoholic father and had herself pretty much avoided alcohol until she found her mother dead. She went from being a successful sober member of the bar to twice bankrupt (thus chucking away her inheritance of more than £1 million). At one point she mentioned that she seriously considered life on the streets. She went on to become one of the "Two Fat Ladies" who went around on motor bikes and cooked up a storm.
It was an interesting interview and will be available to listen to at the bbc 4 website for the next week.

One of the things that she mentioned was that she explained alcoholism as being caused by having an endorphinal gland that is trigged by alcohol, and once triggered sets off a "heroin-like craving for alcohol". Well if that's true its hardly surprising that there are so many alcholics - its pretty hard to avoid having the odd drink in this society. Most people with that particular genetic trait are likely to have it triggered.

Today has been full of synchronicities but those two are my favourites, so far!