Kali Time for Change

My latest embellished ebru project is focused on the Hindu Devi Kali Ma. This was a great winter project.


Hand painted Kali Ma screens.

I planned out a four color silkscreen print made with only two screens. Then made a vibrant red battal ebru to embellish with the new screen print art.


Work in progress - fresh Kali screen print drying on original battal ebru.

Most know her as the Great Mother, Kali Ma, the Goddess of time and change. Often perceived as a destroyer, Kali is the redeemer of the universe. She is a champion Devi that destroys only to create, and what Kali Ma fights is ignorance and well... demons. Peoples inner demons mostly, but there are stories of her on the battlefield kicking demon butt.


Finished handmade original acrylic ebru (turkish paper marbling) battal mono-print embellished with a four color Goddess Kali Ma screen print on kozo paper. 19" x 24"

Exited by her victory Kali Ma is known to dance on her fallen foes. Kali's trident represents the female energy of the triple Goddess - virgin, mother, and crone. While the sword gives protection from fear. She also caries with her a bowl of blood. Blood being a symbol of both life and death.


This red battal ebru resembles blood.

Kali is always seen with a string of skulls wrapped around her neck, showing a mastery over fear and death. While her crown shows great wisdom and truth.

Always naked and revealing the truth of who she is. There are no clothes that can mask her, for she is pure and without illusion. With wild hair, untamed like uncultivated nature.


original handmade acrylic ebru (turkish paper marbling) mono-print embellished with a four color Kali Ma screen print on cotton paper. 19" x 24"

The cosmic sal ebru in this second piece was done on a methylcellulose size. It was a bit different from the carrageenan size I normally work with. I was expecting precise control over the movement of the paint, but instead I found I was more of the conductor of chaos as the paint spiraled out of my design and created something of its own. I think the ethereal mono-print that came from such chaos should be viewed as an abstract portrait of the Kali Ma energy.


The wise woman with the third eye.

Om Krim Kali Namah!

~Other News
• There are only a few more 2013 calendars in stock. Get yours at LucidOpticLab.etsy.com



Peace & Love,
-Danny

Further Down The Rabbit Hole

Returning to Ebru Wonderland


The second time round, she came across a low curtain she had not noticed before, and behind it was a little door.


"You may call it 'nonsense' if you like," she said, "but I've heard nonsense, compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary!"

There are a ton of great pieces from the Ebru Wonderland project. The lovely psychedelic whimsy of the ebru art seems to lend new life to these recycled book pages of classic illustrations and the timeless tales of Alice's adventures in Wonderland.


It's my own invention.

But how does one get to ebru wonderland?

Well one day while looking over my book shelf, I noticed that I had 4 copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. So I asked myself, "self, do you need 4 copies of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass?" It was then that the conclusion was reached to disassemble one of the books and re-use the paper for ebru.


The pool of tears.


A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden; the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red.


All this time the guard was looking at her, first through a telescope, then through a microscope, and then through an opera glass.

- In Other News -

• I recently had put the Guanyin Ebru in an group art show called the Portland Goddess Show. The show was a celebration of all things Goddess to mark the release of the 2013 Portland Goddess calendar. The calendar is available in my etsy shop - here



• I have one ebru workshop on the Winter Schedule at The Village Gallery Of Arts. It will be held on January 19th, sign-up in advance.


Circa 1600's

• 2013 is almost here, so be prepared. Buy your copy of Liquid Visions, the ebru art of Danny Rodriguez. It's a 2013 calendar featuring twelve months of my original embellished ebru art. Now available though my etsy shop.



Peace and Love,
Danny

Ebru India

I recently brought my live ebru art to India.



I was invited to do a live ebru performance at IIT Guwahati's annual tech fest, Techniche.
A 3 day event filled with robots, lasers, and lectures, Techniche 2012 also offered artistic entertainment in the evenings.




Indica Ebru.

The performance was about a hour and half long. During which I made some detailed patterns, flowers, peacock feathers, birds, and an om symbol.



Heres what they had to say about me, "As the paint droplets swirl and twirl on the liquid, the realization that art is forever expanding and always surprising hits you gently. This art of creating marbled paper using impressions drawn from viscous liquid dates back to the 15th century, yet its beauty seems current. Danny Rodriguez is a new-age proponent of Ebru Art who combines the ancient turkish art with modern techniques to create an end-result that never ceases to amaze."

As an added bonus, a couple nights later I set up a DIY ebru booth and gave some Techniche goers the chance to experience ebru first hand.


Danny's water bending academy.

When I was done performing I relaxed and enjoyed my visit, while finding my way to a couple of the local temples of Guwahati, India.


Temple for the Devi Kamakhya, in Guwahati, India.

- In other news -

• This September I will be featured in the OMSI Maker Faire.

• I am teaching multiple ebru workshops available this Fall Schedule at The Village Gallery Of Arts. The first class is on September 22nd, and the second class is on November 3rd.

Peace and Love,
Danny

Ebru Wonderland

How do you get to ebru wonderland?


Tied round the neck of the bottle was a paper label with the words "DRINK ME" beautifully printed on it in large letters.

Well one day while looking over my book shelf, I noticed that I had 4 copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. So I asked myself, "self , do you need 4 copies of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass?" It was then that the conclusion was reached to disassemble one of the books and re-use the paper for ebru.


Curiouser and curiouser!

A lovely level of psychedelic whimsy was the result of the addition of the ebru art. Vibrance, composition, and kinetic lines lent a new life to the classic illustrations found within the book.


There goes Bill!


The Queen's Croquet-Ground.

I had a lot of fun with this project and created tons of great pieces. I produced far too much to share it all here, but I will try to continue to reveal my favorites over time.

- In Other News -

• I have just added 2 ebru classes to the Fall Schedule at The Village Gallery Of Arts. The first class is on September 22nd, and the second class is on November 3rd. Don't hesitate, the classes will fill up fast.



• With Summer blazing away I am finding myself selling ebru art out in the streets of Portland, OR. The easiest place to find me would be at the Portland Saturday Market on the waterfront in downtown Portland, Oregon.



Peace and Love,
Danny

Double Dates

I will have my ebru art in two different wall calendars in 2013.


The future is nigh.

The first calendar is Liquid Visions, the ebru art of Danny Rodriguez. Which features twelve months of my original embellished ebru art.




The wall calendar is 8"x8" with a saddle-stitch binding.

Not only did I select all the pieces featured, I printed, bound, and signed every one of these limited edition wall calendars.


Order yours now while supplies last.

The Liquid Visions wall calendar is available though pre-sale in my etsy shop. Pre-Sale price is 33% off regular price. So, if you get one early you can save $5.

The second 2013 wall calendar that includes my ebru art is the 2013 Portland Goddess Calendar. This calendar is a group project organized by Chelsea Rose and features the art of twelve different Pacific Northwest Artist who have come together to both honor the divine feminine and share visions of her sacred and enthralling presence.




The Divine Feminine has been honored and depicted by every culture around the world since the beginning of human history. Her wisdom and majesty lives on today as she continues to be known and worshiped by many names throughout the world. As is the nature of the Goddess, her strength, wisdom and beauty are a major source of inspiration not only spiritually but artistically.

This limited edition calendar features my Guanyin Ebru, a double layer ebru with screen print embellishment, and a battal ebru print that is used as background for the inside cover page and back cover, plus the art of Portland, Oregon artists Laura Borealisis, Justin Slattum, Liv Rainey-Smith, Nicole Linde, Joanne Licardo, Robin Urton, Matt Schlosky, Sam Arneson, Nicholas Frenette, Anna Todaro, and Chelsea Rose.

This calendar is currently available through a pre-sale on etsy. If you order a calendar during the presale you get 15% off the regular price. This means the early bird saves three bucks by getting a calendar for $17 instead of $20. The presale ends October 4th, 2012.

In other news-
Its Summer time, so I am super busy showing and selling ebru art at the local street fairs and markets.


If you spot me selling art around the Portland, Oregon area say "Hi".

Peace and Love,
Danny

Focusing Divine Energy

The new ebru pieces I have been working on are embellished with the Japanese Jumon, Choku Rei (sho-ku-ray).


Handmade original, double layer acrylic ebru (turkish paper marbling) on kozo paper.

The Choku Rei is a symbol used in Reiki Healing to increase the flow of energy through the practitioner, thus increasing the healing potential. Choku Rei loosely means, focus divine energy here, and is informally referred to as the Power symbol.

Reiki roughly translated means, divine energy.  I see Ebru as a representation of the same energy.


The Choku Rei focuses the flow of the divine energy.

These pieces were made by utilizing a paper masking technique which requires me to go through the ebru process twice to define the symbol.




Peace & Love,
Danny

Workshop Review

Take a look inside my ebru workshop.


I'm at the head of the table leading the Ebru exercise.

The Village Gallery of Arts  recently added me to their list of art instructors. My first VGA workshop was an introduction to Turkish paper marbling. After a brief introduction and a step by step exercise of the base patterns the group was free to play and experiment.


We went through a ton of paper!

The group caught on quick and turned out some unique ebru of their own. I spent most of my time helping guide others from patterns to new ideas, so I wasn't able to get much marbling done myself. All and all I think the workshop went great and by the end of the day I was already planning the next one.

Check out this 1600's illustration of a paper marbling studio. It looks quite similar.


Not much has changed.

- In other news,
I was recently featured in a one night only pop-up art and music show inside NW Shirts retail location in Vancouver, WA. I shared a wall with my partner, Acrylic painter, Chelsea Rose. The evening also hosted a live set from Vancouver's Quetzal.


a night of psychedelia.

Peace & Love,

-Danny