Buddha was inspired by a statue of Buddha. I have him sitting in the lotus position on a lotus blossom. The lotus symbolizes purity, rebirth, divinity, and enlightenment. I’ve also placed a pink blossom cherry tree on either side of Buddha; they lean in toward the top center of the piece. In Japan, cherry trees represent the beauty and fragility of life. I included rays of light emitting from Buddha to further symbolize his enlightenment. I put green grass behind him to create a horizon line and to add a symbol of growth. I chose to use metallic gold paint on his person and his orange robe. The rest of the painting has metallic silver paint covering it.

The flesh tones of Buddha are Liquitex acrylic paint and the rest is General’s Kimberly watercolor pencil on Canson watercolor paper (18″ square). It took me about 35 hours to finish, in 2016. Once complete, it was covered with a spray varnish. It has an acid-free mat that makes it 24″ square and a foamboard backing, wrapped in an archival plastic bag. The back of the foam board has Command damage-free hook and loop strips, and it comes with more strips to put on your wall for easy hanging without a frame. The logo watermark is not on the original painting or any final printed products.

Original was given as a gift.