John D. MacDonald/Travis McGee

"...to me organized religion, the formalities and routines, it's like being marched in formation to look at a sunset."
T. McGee, A Deadly Shade of Gold

Joyce Ballantyne

Wikipedia entry for the artist

Musical Pin-up

Shared by a friend - I do not know the origin but would like to give credit to (and see more work by) the artist. Please leave a note if you know who created it.

Transition in Rose - Aaron Westerberg

The artist's web site

Ralegh’s Prizes - Robert Pinsky

And Summer turns her head with its dark tangle

All the way toward us....

Sand Mandalas

"Of all the traditional Tibetan tantric practices, the art of painting with colored sand is one of the most unique and exquisite. In Tibetan language, this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means "mandala of colored powders."

"Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks before ultimately being dismantled in order to release and disseminate the deity's blessings into the world to benefit all sentient beings.















Formed into traditionally prescribed Tibetan iconography that includes geometric shapes and a multitude of historical Buddhist spiritual symbols, the sand-painted mandala is used as a tool for consecrating, or blessing, the earth and its inhabitants, and provides for the practitioner a visual framework for establishing the enlightened mind of the Buddha."

Quote source
Picture source

Andy Griffith: June 1, 1926 - July 3, 2012

Biography