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Calligraphy Title : LAKSMI Tibet Prosperity
Style : Stylized Tibet Lensa Character via Ume script calligraphy
Frame Size : 24x36-inch
Date : March 2010
Creator : Uwe
Owner : Uwe @ Austin.Texas.USA
Collectible : $250 USD
Description :
Tibet calligraphy "Laksmi" character, written in brush style. Symbol of Tibet Goddess of Prosperity derived from Hindu pantheon. In Hinduism, Laksmi ( also written Lakshmi ) depicted as lady sitting on lotus gold coins ( allusion to Goddess of Wealth ), extending out her hands of blessing. She is also the consort to Vishnu : God of Sustenance.
Hindu deities - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_deities
Hindu Pantheon - http://rksanka.tripod.com/religion/deities.html
Laksmi represents wealth, prosperity ( both material and spiritual ),
light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage. Deity embodies female characteristics of beauty, grace, and charm.
Lakshmi - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakshmi
Stylized Tibet LENSA character written via Ume-script calligraphy brush. Lensa is an abugida ( segmental writing system ) derived from Brahmic language family of South Asia. Ume script is the free-flow writing style of Tibetan calligraphy.
Tibetan script - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_script
Brahmic family of scripts - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmic_family_of_scripts
Inset caption : Laksmi character in traditional ink pen-scribed Uchen format on left. Item was scanned and imported into MS-Powerpoint, remaining characters & border created in same application. Uchen format is the upright block style of Tibetan script.
Uchen - http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Uchen
Ume - http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Ume
Calligraphy sheet made of 2 separate light bond paper, demarcation line can be seen after Ume character had dried, thus contracting the sheet.
Uchen literally means "with a head", while "Ume" means "without a head". Distinction derived from its orthography that Uchen has a "flat cap" ( aka head ) and is used for formal writing (ex. Buddhist sutras, royal correspondences ), while Ume being an non-cristated script is used for hand-writing of daily correspondences.
Tibetan writing styles - http://www.tibettravel.info/tibetan-language/writing.html
Inset caption place on top right to balance Laksmi character length. Used thick black ink paste to create a "scratchy" effect to showcase writing force and direction.
Tibet Characters - http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tibetan.htm
Dual Sino-Tibet good-luck scroll, with Tibetan Uchen-script Laksmi ( prosperity, wealth ) character on top, Chinese character "Fu Shou" ( fortune longevity ) at bottom. This Laksmi character was used as scanned graphic for inset caption.
Tibetan Scripts - http://www.inkessential.com/scripts.html
Note, Chinese "Fu Shou" proverb is read in traditional format from right to left. Characters are also written in Traditional Chinese characters standardized 2,000 years ago as Clerical Script during China's Han Dynasty era, and not the current Simplified Chinese characters created by China's Communist Party in 1957.
Evolution of Chinese characters - http://www.omniglot.com/writing/chinese_evolution.htm
Historical tidbit : Tibet region is known in history as gateway conveying Buddhist teachings between Indian subcontinent and East Asia ( China, Korea, Japan ). However, until advent of 7th-century when China's TANG Dynasty conquered that region to secure trade route between Rome - Persia - China ( aka Silk Road ), Tibetans were notorious as highway robbers, brigands, murder and mayhem. It was only after their conquest did Buddhism flow into this outlawed region, thus gaining converts to more pacifist & civilized livelihood.
Tang Dynasty - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_Dynasty
Tibet during the Tang Dynasty - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet_during_the_Tang_Dynasty
Silk Road - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road
Full view of Laksmi Ume-script calligraphy. Item placed in black soft-edged plastic frame.
Tibetan script was created after its envoy was dispatched to India to study constructs of a written language, and used Indic ( Brahmic ) script as development base for new language. To this day, linguistics not in agreement over which specific Brahmic script inspired Tibetan Uchen alphabet creation.
There were 3 main orthographic standards used since the 7th-century, most important standard reserved for official translation of Buddhist scriptures. Another interesting aspect is that as Tibet spoken language evolved throughout the centuries ( as with all spoken languages ), it lost various pronunciation of complex consonant clusters, but the written aspect of Tibetan script remain consistent throughout these centuries ( akin to Traditional Chinese characters and its lineage ).
Brahmic script - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C4%81hm%C4%AB_script
Hot off the press, Laksmi character immediately after its writing. Large scratchy stroke patterns denote force and direction. Once ink had dried, paper contracted to showcase surface rippled effect.
Calligraphy sheet in preparation for writing, small Japanese cone-shape rice bowl used to mix black ink ( very little water was added since one desired thick viscosity ). 3 ladies rouge brushes taped together into one large single brush to cover large swop of sheet during painting.
Calligraphy Title : "Baku" the Co-existence
Style : Stylized Siddham Script
Frame Size : 12x30-inch
Date : Jan 2010
Creator : Uwe
Owner : Uwe @ Austin.Texas.USA
Description :
Siddham character "BAKU", divine Buddhist symbol of self religious awakening, a convergence of thought - action - form - interaction in co-existing realm. BAKU is the romanized Japanese Kana rendition, its Hindi rendition is BHAH. Symbol also represents Sakyamuni Tathagata, a person borned circa 6th BC in northern India, who renounced worldly comfort & pleasures to practice severest austerities to reach full enlightenment and Dharma.
Indian Siddham - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddham
Dharma - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma
Traditional Siddham calligraphy is written top to bottom. However, I elected on a left to write approach to "stretch" out the calligraphy via wide brush patterns and flairs. This is the second Siddham character I written since beginning my Hindi-Buddhist calligraphy practice. As noted, calligraphy represents Buddha Sakyamuni Tathagata (which is romanized Japanese Kana title of his name). Romanized Hindi title is Samyaksambuddha.
Samyaksambuddha - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samyaksambuddha
Left to Right painting enabled series of ending swirls as calligraphy tapered off its end, 2 outlaying swirls replaced the traditional diamond-shape icons. These circular patterns also enhanced a holistic quality to such theology, that the physical world and divine realm are actually one, or 2 sides of the same coin. One realm cannot exist without the other, otherwise humanity will never achieve any moral compass. On the flip side, divine realm must be worshiped or feared by adherents, or else these divine beings fades into distant human memory, and after a few generations forgotten outright.
This insight is extolled in 2 reference points : 1) Bible Book of Revelation stating unification of Religion and Science upon 2nd coming of Christ ( hence Religion and Science unified as 2 sides of the same coin ), 2) 1967 Star Trek sci-fi TV episode "Who Mourns for Adonais (Apollo) ?", for if mankind ceases to worship or fear a deity, that divine being would relinquish relevance in humanity's moral evolution and disappeared for our divine ethos (for example, when was the last time you feared Olympian God Zeus releasing the giant sea monster Kraken since you did not make sacrificial offerings at your local Roman altar ?)
Bible Book of Revelation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation
Who Mourns for Adonais ? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Mourns_for_Adonais%3F
Star Trek #31 - Who Mourns for Adonais Part 1 | YouTube.com
Star Trek #31 - Who Mourns for Adonais Part 2 | YouTube.com
Star Trek #31 - Who Mourns for Adonais Part 3 | YouTube.com
Inset caption explaining Siddham traditional form, meaning, and deity reference.
Calligraphy written in 5 brush strokes, each stroke dipped into ink bowl for full paint reservoir. 1st stroke with center top-down stroke, 2nd stroke is from center to left swirl, 3rd is wavy center to right swirl, 4th and 5th are swirls on upper right. Samyaksambuddha, represented by this Siddham, refers to individual who achieves Nirvana by one's own efforts without a teacher, and then teaches others to attain their enlightenment.
Other Buddha types are Paccekabuddha and Savakabuddha. Paccekabuddha also attains Nirvana by one's own efforts, but do not teach others to reach enlightenment, hence forms no disciplines. Savakabuddha is a disciple of a Sammasambuddha, thus receives direct teachings in reaching Nirvana. Nirvana is a central religious thought among Indian religions, a state of freedom from mortal suffering (ex. ignorance, greed, hatred, delusion). Word itself literally means "Blowing Out", to blow out the fires of amoral contempt.
Types of Buddha - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_Buddha
Nirvana - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana
Siddham preparing to be framed, inset caption preparing to be set. Canvass spliced from 2 beige color medium bond artist painting paper.
Inspiration for Indian Siddham calligraphy traced to my old pal "Kazuma" (Brad) who introduced me in 1995 to Japanese Sci-Fi movie "Zeiram". In "Zeiram 2" (or Zeiramu in Japanese), Iria the bounty hunter battles various alien mutations in a Buddhism temple of which various Buddhist Sutras were written via Siddham calligraphy.... capturing my attention and interest... the rest is history.
Zeiram 2 | Amazon.com
Calligraphy Title : Ai Chu Fu Lai | Love Departs Fortune Arrives
Style : Chinese Seal Script
Frame Size : 16x18-inch
Date : May 2010
Creator : Uwe
Owner : ZZ&Grace @ Austin.Texas.USA
Description :
Chinese Judeo-Christian proverb written in Seal Script character format. Phrase read from top to bottom states "Love Departs, Fortune Arrives", or colloquially as "Compassion for All of Humanity, Fortune will be bestowed on Thee".
Same phrase rendered in modern Traditional Chinese font typography, one can view the evolution of the characters between its Seal Script style and today's modern style. Major difference in orthography was the invention of the ink brush made from bamboo shaft and hair tail hair, while Seal Scripts were written via a ink bamboo fountain pen (hence its uniform ink flow rate and character thickness). Note : There are different Seal Script orthography for the same Chinese character, but there is no such category as Simplified Chinese Seal Script characters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_script
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/chinese_evolution.htm
Judeo-Christian Chinese phrase ordered from left to right, the order by which it is actually read. 
Inset reference caption created for back of character frame, indicating character format, meaning, and origin of Seal Scripts.
Hot off the Press, Seal Script characters created only a few seconds beforehand as one waits the black ink to dry. Used HobbyLobby's art & craft black acrylic paint in a squeeze bottle, paint mixed with dash of water in Japanese conical rice bowl (green bowl to the left) for viscosity.
Seal script air dried for one day before placed into wooden frame
In painting the Seal Scripts, placed a character template underneath the canvass and traced over its contours. Character templated showed above, it was taped directly behind the canvass and was transparent enough for this art work.
Originally, to created and control an uniformed orthographic thickness to the Seal Scripts, used a black permanent marker for this art work. The marker enabled precise contour and control, but did not vest the character in-depth color desired. Hence, this was used as painting template for the final ink brush & acrylic ink paste version.
Layout for character top-down side-by-side reading format based Chinese word for "Matrimony" (Shi) as shown above. This word composed of compound Chinese word "Happy Event, Like, Joy" (Shi). Hence 2 "Shi" characters form "Matrimony". Used same arrangement for the "Ai Chu Fu Lai" characters.
