Om…
Mani
Padme
Hum.
The jewel…
In the lotus
Generosity
Ethics
Patience
Diligence
Renunciation
Wisdom
“My name is Rangzen. It means Freedom in Tibetan. One day we will be free.”
“Om mani padme om” (Or Om mani padme Hum) is one of the most famous mantras of Buddhism. It means “The jewel in the Lotus”. (As far as I could understand). One can use it endlessly for meditation. It is also called the mantra of the Great Compassion.
The author would like to thank Cosey, a Swiss graphic novel artist, whose work and one particular photograph have inspired this sketch. Look Cosey up, he is a magnificent artist. Below is an example of his work. Merci Monsieur Cosey. 🙏🏻
“Elle ou les 100,000 lucioles.” (C) Cosey.
Om Mani Padme Om… 🙏🏻
Equinoxio 
I like seeing your process of drawing, step by step. Very nicely drawn and painted!
Gracias Rebe. I’m still not 100% satisfied with my drawing. Making progress as I work, but I need to get closer to the model. Details of proportions. Hopefully I will get there… All well?
We are our own worst critics, it seems. I thought yours was a good drawing. Yes, all well and boosted over here. And you?
Thank you. I think to be one’s own worst critics helps us progress… I’m just in the middle of another series of three sketches. Learning new ways…
Good that you should be boosted. We got ours in November, in New York. (Thank you to the City of New York!)
Nos “vemos”.
This is wonderful Brian. I didn’t know you are an artist, your work here is beautiful! Love the narrative too.
Thank you Coeur de feu. But you do know. Remember the portrait of your evil sister Ylloh? Based on a biker photo of yours? And we also talked about your having used acrylics in the past.
The narrative came naturally once I had all the phases of the sketch/painting. Ommmmmm!
Oh Yeah! Of course I do. That was a long time ago. You’re an amazing artist. I remember we talked about mediums and the ease of watercolor and acrylics and the issue with oils. I haven’t painted in three years now. I’m glad to see your artwork again. It’s awesome. 🎨🤗🌹Ommmm…..
Yeah it was a while. I have my sketching/painting bouts. Then I leave it. 3 years? When will you pick it up again? Or do you have old work you could post?
I have some old paintings. Maybe I’ll post them . I was browsing your blog. You have a lot of gorgeous paintings displayed!
Thank you. It’s a rediscovery. Which is both gratifying, challenging and soothing.
Look forward to your old paintings. 🖼
I’m feeling rather shy, I’ll put them in IG.
Do. Besides the sunrise I saw another post of yours which I thought might a painting… But not if I understood well afterwards. 🙏🏻🌹
So far I haven’t posted any art. There’s a pic that is so beautiful of the ocean it looks like a painting but it’s actually the real thing. 🌺
Yeah. I think I saw it. Will hop to IG later if I can… 🌹💕
Hope to see you there. 🌹💕
Ps. Ommmmm.
What a great job! Excellent picture. So interesting.
Coming from you I am very much honoured. (Bowing to the master.)
The model came from a series of graphic novels by Cosey this artist I like very much. Most set in Asia. He takes a lot of photos when he travels. One photo of a young Tibetan woman caught my eye. Since I’m trying to improve my “portraits”, it was a good “model.”
I greatly enjoyed watching “The Jewel in the Lotus” emerge.
Thank you Liz. You’re always too kind. 🙏🏻
You’re welcome, Brian.
I love watching your process, Brieuc! Inspiration to try my hand…. yeah. No. My father forgot to pass his drawing and painting genes down to me!
Merci Dale. Nature ou culture? Je ne sais pas. Ce qui est sûr c’est que ma mère peignait très bien. Et c’était mon “professeur de dessin” en homeschooling. Ton père peignait? As-tu des exemples?
Je n’ai qu’un tableau de lui (pas son plus wow, mais il l’a fait pour moi) et la plupart de ses tableaux ont été vendus! Je vais essayer de trouver et partager.
Chanceux que ta mère a été ton professeur.
Un c’est toujours ça surtout quand il la’ fait pour toi. Ton père était donc artiste peintre et vendait son art. Super.
Oui, j’ai eu de la chance… (elle m’a aussi appris l’orthographe, les tables de multiplication…) 🤣
Voici le plus drôle. Mon père a fait de la peinture pendant à peine cinq ans!! Un trip et then he was done!
Nice! LOL
Amusant. Après 5 ans je suppose qu’il avait fait le tour de la question. C’est bien.
Ouin. Mon père (comme sa fille – je le blâme) perds intérêt rapidement. Did it.. next!
Que ça nous plaise ou non, on est tous un peu le produit de nos parents. Gènes et éducation…
Tu sais, je suis très à l’aise avec ceci. Ma curiosité m’empêche d’arrêter et de me spécialiser dans quoique ce soit. Suis une vraie Jaqueline of all Trades, Mistress of none à cause de ça. Mais je l’assume. Je crois toujours qu’éventuellement ça va me mener à quelque chose…
“Jacqueline of all trades”? Ha. A very nice expression. I can relate. I was diagnosed a “dilettante” first year of college by the school psychologist. (Ran a whole battery of tests on all of us.)
Et j’assume aussi le dilettantisme. Tant de choses à voir et à faire…
Dilettante!! Love it!
A battery of tests? Why the hell for?
J’assume perdre l’intérêt après un bout de temps… parfois plus long que d’autres…
Je ne sais pas pourquoi, à l’entrée en Ecole de commerce (tu connais le systême un peu particulier en France?) en début d’année, on a tous passé des batteries de test, plus un entretien avec le psychologue de l’École. M. de Saint-Jean, excusez du peu! Après il a donné notre “diagnostic” à chacun de nous. Une sorte de feedback, je suppose, pour nous faire voir nos forces et nos faiblesses. “Dilettante” est pour moi une force, pour lui, je ne crois pas.
Et pour toi, je pense que c’est bien. Il y a des choses qui lassent… Bonne semaine Dale.
J’ignorais complètement le système en France. Weird.
Et, honnêtement, dilettante, je suis aussi d’accord, est une force.
Pour moi… je ne sais plus. Rendue à 57 et 3/4 😉 et je ne sais toujours pas ce que (qui) je veux être lorsque je serai grande…
Bonne semaine, Brieuc!
Très weird. Mais je suis passé par le systême et j’ai survécu. Imagine 2 ans de “cramming” every day including week-ends for 2 years. After that? You can take jus about anything.
Quand tu seras grande? Si ça peut te consoler, je sais toujours pas…
Biz.
Très. Et non merci! And I bet you can!
Ouin… Ça ben l’air que je n’le saurai jamais…
Biz.
🤗
🙂
Those are indeed some wonderful words! 👌
They are. So simple. Om mani padme om…
We agree about those, but in my comment I was actually referencing the words to which you yourself related them. Nicely wrought (writed) 👌
Ah see… Thank you but the credit goes to research. I wanted to know more about the meaning of the mantra and those are the words related to it. So whoever done wraht it centuries ago deserves all the credit. Om again.
🙏
Wonderful Brian so enjoyable to see process and I trust you had fun composing them ☺️🤓👌 Om Mani Padme Om ~ hugs hedy 🤗🕊
I thought you might like that post. Not sure I had fun, the sketch/painting was difficult. I changed the shape of the face N times… But it always is a soothing process. Om mani indeed… Hugs back. 🌹💕
Your drawing progression is fascinating, Brian. Great job!
Thank you Jane. It is always a pleasant process to draw/paint. You let the hand think for you. Cleanses your mind… Om.
Looks nice! Is that marker or watercolor?
Thank you. I’m honoured.
Watercolour. I haven’t “graduated” to markers yet. Must buy a set. I sometimes use very small brushes for watercolours. Oh. Amend. I do the hair with a fine tip black marker.
So pretty ❤️
Nice job
Thank you. Much obliged.
You are most welcome ❤️
So good to see the progress of your fine work
Thank you Derrick. But you’re only too kind. Compared to you and Jackie I am just an amateur. 🙏🏻
Still a good one
J’aime beaucoup voir l’avancée de tes dessins. Bravo !
Bonne journée Brieuc
Merci. Je m’amuse il faut le reconnaître… Et “retourner en arrière” me sert. J’apprend sur le process.
Bonne nuit ma grande. 😴
Love seeing the step-by-step process!
Thank you. It’s fun to post in sequence. Allows me to remember my process…
i Admire your dicepline! I wouldn’t manage to stop inbetween and document the process. Very nice picture Brian!
Viel dank. More than discipline it’s the process. I draw for 15-20 mins. Then let it sit. Maybe a day. Meanwhile I take a picture when I take a break. Easy. Put the pencil down and grab your phone… Tschüß
I didn’t know that is what the mantra translated as. We often just use Ohm… as a chant in the beginning and end of yoga class. Fantastic step by step art!
It is a very good mantra for meditation…
Thank you. Glad you like the art and text. Have a great week Astrid. 😉
Thanks Brian!
I enjoy seeing your step by step process. The drawing came out wonderfully.
I’m taking more step by step shots of the new Art Gown I’m making. I’ll see how that goes.
Great drawing, with fab text. Thank you, Brian!!!
Coming from such an artist as you are, I am honoured… (So I can pretend to keep on sketching?)
Step by step shots of your new gown are an excellent idea. (Allows you to go back in time)
Thank YOU.
You are not pretending!
I pretend as much as you do. LOL!
Just keep drawing, so will I and we will both keep getting better!
xo
Practice is the key. I’ve set myself some exercises… We’ll see how it goes. You will be the first to know.
👍👍
Très beau. Et comme je suis fan de Cosey depuis mon enfance, que dire… ?
Merci. (Bien que je n’arrive pas à la cheville de Cosey!) 😉
Moi aussi, je suis fan. J’ai lu “Souviens-toi Jonathan” dans le journal de Tintin… Années 70. ça fait un bail.
Tout va bien chez toi?🤗
I wish for Tibetans’ freedom.
Yep. 🙏🏻
Beautiful words and I loved seeing the different stages of you very lovely painting. Not surprised to hear Holly is a painter either. Big hugs 🤗
You’re only too kind. (I’ve been pushing Holly to post her paintings… we’ll see.) Take care.
She is such a lovely and talented young woman. You have a great Sunday. 🤗
She is. A great person.
Thank you. You too.
Blessings 🤗❤️🦋
Oh my, this is a brilliant glimpse into the evolution of an artist ~ beautiful work, Brian. Seeing how you started off with the initial idea “om” … indeed, a perfect description, as this first piece captures the spirit one could meditate upon. And the lesson you also give with “Om mani padme om” is a treasure as well… Thank you for this treat, this insight, and also for the introduction to Cosey, I’ll have to check out his work. Kudos, my friend, for another insight into an art that I love and a talent that is so very foreign to me (I’ve a hand full of thumbs!).
Plenty of thumbs are good for smartphones… 😉
You may or may not know, my text comes after the sketch. Often I don’t know what I will write until the drawing painting is finished. Once the paint was dry I thought “Om mani…” Then I researched the exact meaning and connotations. Selected the right number of intermediate steps…
Cosey is great. A top artist. You might like his “graphic novels”.
About the insight? All my sketches lead me to learning. Remember my series based on your photos. I learnt the name of the niece or daughter of one of your classmates. And learnt about the people. 🙏🏻
PS. Drawing is probably similar to meditation. It cleanses my mind.
Beautiful, Brian. Just beautiful.
Thank you Paul. I am glad you liked it. Did you ever go to Tibet?
Sadly not, and all the worse since it’s very unlikely I’ll get to go there now. Even if I did I suspect the all knowing state surveillance and repression will have made it a very different experience these days.
Most likely.
I like the art roll, how long would it take you to do a complete picture like this from start to finish? Beautiful work.
Thank you. How long? Hard to say. About a week. But I draw 10 minutes, do something else. Change a pencil line, do something else. Come back the next day… At one point I let the sketch sit on a ledge by the staircase, perfect height to work standing, lots of light. I generally do the watercolours in one standing. The structure of the sketch is already “stable.” One hour maybe for painting maybe?
I’m just having fun.
🙏🏻
Reblogged this on Nelsapy.
You have a true talent here , brilliant!💫
Thank you Cherryl. I’m just an amateur. Had actually stopped drawing painting for more that 40 years. Picked it up again and enjoy it. It is a diffent way to post. All well with you? Planning any trip soon?
I see you have seen some of my latest sketches. Thanks.