Goddess Tara

I create this piece intuitively. A greenish blue pigment is not usually a colour one would choose for a face. But I was enjoying it too much to stop and I think it added to her interest.

There could have been an Eastern Deity influence but I honestly just went with my instincts on this one.

Looking further into it, I felt that she carried an essence of the goddess Tara of Buddhist faith – her green skin would represent fertility, life and growth. Tara means ‘star’ or ‘saviour’ and became known as the goddess of salvation and liberation. A compassionate protector who responds to the needs of beings facing worldly or spiritual challenges, guiding them lovingly, with immense compassion

An interesting thing is that Tara exists as a goddess in many other countries and traditions, including Hinduism and Druidism. In Finland she was known as Tar – ‘The Woman of Wisdom’ and in Roman mythology as Terra – ‘The Earth Mother’. In South America the indigenous tribes called their deity ‘Tarahumara’. She can also be linked to Kuan Yin the great Chinese goddess of compassion.

Whichever version you prefer, I hope you see some of those empathetic, protective qualities in this piece. Indeed, I am certain that her presence includes an essence of all of them, shaping them into one entity that some how, I perceived intuitively.

She was created in pastels on A4 black card and has a shimmer of mica powder to bring out her highlights and starlike qualities.