SPIRIT ART - DAN A. BARKER
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In the Sutra of the Wonderful Law many roles are described, one them being Flower Banner Maker. American Tanka (thangha) are derived from that deep tradition. They are made with metallic thread donated to the artist by the Kanayama Gold and Silver Thread Manufactury, Kyoto. The thread is laid down one piece at a time on a line of glue drawn with a ‘0’ paint brush, then cut; the resulting swirling patterns represent the resonant energy waves emanating from all substance. Pearls are used to represent the Earth and ideas. The poem fragments are often overlaid with gold leaf to indicate the sacred word. The symbols employed present the unified field of being. Their purpose is to return the gift of light to the world.
American Tanka are made by Dan A. Barker, initiator and builder
of the Home Gardening Project, and the Home Gardening Project
Foundation. Home Gardening Projects build and install free complete
raised bed vegetable gardens at the homes of the aged, the disabled,
single parent mothers and their children, and at caring institutions.
He has personally built 1400 gardens, and fostered the building
of thousands of others. He lives with his loving wife, Cynthia
Cheney, and their three dogs in the Applegate Valley of southern
Oregon.
hgpf@teleport.com
This page is maintained by Cynthia Cheney
and was last updated on 11 January 2002.
URL for this page: http://home.teleport.com/~hgpf/~flowerbanner/artist.html