Bodhisattva Series

OK Bodhisattva
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
24” x 36”

I made this painting while thinking about my family history of cancer, and the likelihood that it would effect me as a woman. Taking inspiration from the Buddhist idea of the compassionate and enlightened soul, or Bodhisattva, who remains behind to lead others on, I painted a figure meant to represent myself as a survivor, bolstered by those who had gone before me. Instead of a traditional hand signal, the figure flashes the western “OK” sign.
When I did in fact develop and survive cancer, this work developed into a series of paintings as tribute to the women in my family who have passed on, and the lessons they left behind.

Eve: Bodhisattva of Compassion
Oil on Canvas
30 x 40 in.
2008
My cousin Eve was the happiest woman I ever knew, taking life as it came without complaint until she died at a tragically young age.



Katherine: Bodhisattva of Creation
Oil on Canvas
30 x 40 in.
2008
My aunt Kathy was an artist and a healer who had a huge impact on me. Diagnosed with breast cancer and given little time to live, she survived years beyond the time she was warned she would have, painting and experimenting with natural remedies.



Sophia: Bodhisattva of Wisdom
Oil on Canvas
24 x 35 in.
2008
My paternal grandmother lived a long and well-spent life until succumbing to brain cancer. She frequently dispensed the following indisputable wisdom: “All things in moderation.”

Creating Primitive Beeswax Ornaments

You will need:

Clay and modeling tools
A shallow box or Tupperware container
Mold Release Spray
2 Part rubber-mold mix
A crock pot
Pure beeswax
A soft brush
Powdered pigment in an iridescent hue
Thin wire
Pliers and wire-cutters

(I linked to where I got some of the less-common supplies)

First, sculpt away. Keep in mind that your designs can be as complex or as simple as you like, as long as you avoid any areas where the piece is not solid. If you try to cast something with a loop or a hole, it will not come out of the mold without breaking. You need one continuous piece without overhangs or tunnels, etc.

Once your designs are set, make sure they are securely set into the container or box top into which you plan to pour your mold. If they are not, they will come loose and float to the top during the mold casting process.


Next, spray your clay and container with mold release, like greasing a cupcake tin with pam. Mix your two-part mold rubber of choice very thoroughly, and pour it in slowly, starting at the lowest point and filling upwards.

Make sure that you have more mold making material that you think you need. There is nothing worse than having to do everything again because you underestimated.



When the mold has set (depending on the instructions) peel it out and clean out any residual clay. Instead of using the spray release, I used a powdered pigment to give the ornaments a subtle sheen. Brush it into the mold lightly, coating the edges and details carefully.








Meanwhile, melt your beeswax down in a standard crockpot. If you'd like, you can add any powdered pigment of your choice in this stage- just take care to mix thoroughly.







Pour the wax carefully into the mold. starting again at the lowest point. Don't worry too much about spilling over your edges- you can easily melt it back down again to use later.







The wax becomes opaque as it dries. There can be some trial and error in term of knowing when to take it out of the mold. Wait until you feel slight warmth coming from fully opaque wax, and gently pop it out of the mold. It should still be flexible enough that you can trim any over -spill or mistakes with a butter-knife or wood sculpting tool easily and save it for later.

While your wax is reaching that stage, make some simple wire loops, and when the ornaments are cooling off, work the wire in to the wax before it hardens.

... and voila!

Logos

Another work related to the story of Logos: This installation is about sacred space: A figure is set apart, surrounded by barriers and indications of otherworldliness.

Plaster, acrylic and mixed media.

Transference

Transference
Tara Sasiadek
Encaustic on Panel
24” x 24”

Living in the city, I now crave time spent outside in spaces with as little evidence of humanity in them as possible. This is a reflection on those times I insert myself in the calm and lush outdoors, and attempt to internalize the serenity I find there. Of course, in doing so, I am inserting my own humanity into the space- an Observer’s paradox.

Artist's Journal

An online record of my and countless other's personal and traveling art journals:

Glyphe XXV

Fire of Origin

Fire of Origin
Tara Sasiadek
Oil on Canvas
24” x 52”

We all have stories we tell about ourselves, and sometimes they become more myth than reality. When I was eleven, my family’s house burnt to the ground. We were safe, and for a child unconcerned with insurance and the like, the major effect of this event on myself was creating a fascination with fire. This painting is from the prologue of a graphic novel in progress, called Logos, but it also draws heavily on my memories of that house fire in my own past.

Transubstantiation

“Transubstantiation”
Oil on Canvas
48 x 48 in.
2008
The moment where we touch the mysterium tremendum- the humbling sublime- is as indescribable as the Numena itself. This painting is a meditation on the surrender and release inherent in communion with something beyond normal human experience.