Zoom Namaste

Oil on Board
8 x 10”
2020

Zoom Namaste is a sweet study of one of my favorite models on zoom. She models for my life drawing group. We are a tight group of local artists who join together to practice drawing and painting from observation once a week. 

We couldn’t leave our homes for a while — so we zoomed. What a great opportunity to catch up with artist friends who have moved away!  It was great working together and sharing our experiences. We kept the pose short — three hours — challenging me to make quick decisions.

Yoga is an ancient Indian physical spiritual practice. The practice in the West promotes mental and physical well-being. Meditation clears your mind while you gently introduce stretch, balance, and flexibility.

Yoga is like life drawing to me. It brings me back to the center — stretching my technical and mental artistic abilities.

Painting small studies in oil keeps me from delving into too much detail. It is easier to catch the feeling of the moment on a small canvas. There is less time to focus on every detail — forcing me to think of the whole composition and mood.

And now about the word “Namaste.” This word dates back to the Old Sanskrit language of the Vedas (Modern Hindu emerged from the Vedas texts.) Vedic literature originates in northwestern India and what is now Pakistan.

Namaste comes from “namaha,” Sanskrit meaning “to bend,” and “te” meaning “to you.” Bending is a show of respect, so “nahama” evolved over time to mean “greetings.” So, Namaste literally means “greetings to you.”

Every yoga class I have attended ends with a “namaste” and a bow with prayer hands.

The meaning of Namaste is illusive to Westerners. The act of folding your hands in prayer has a reverent connotation. Hindu speakers may see this ritual differently than I do — go in peace, centered, and focused.

Zoom Namaste is a wonderful, luscious, loose, and emotional oil painting.

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