Lakshmi - Goddess of Abundance and Wealth
I started this large 30x48” painting of goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and abundance one afternoon, quickly sketching it in very crudely. Then I set it aside and didn’t return to it for more than a year.
In late 2022 I pulled it out again with the goal of finishing her by the end of the year. To be more exact, I was giving myself forty days to complete it.
Like the previous deities I painted (Ganesha, Hanuman, Shiva) I was chanting Lakshmi’s mantra while working. I find this is a great way to stay focused and explore deeper the energies I’m trying to convey with these portraits. Each time I paint a Hindu deity such as this, I learn valuable lessons.
What I learned while working with Lakshmi’s essence is that I already have all the abundance I seek. I’m not rich yet I have exactly what I need to live the life I desire. Starting out, I was feeling a lack in my life and sought to call in more of everything for myself. I realize now this is a kind of scarcity mindset, and a spell I was casting on myself with my limited mindset.
Lakshmi’s arms represents four kinds of abundance": dharma (pursuit of ethical, moral life), artha (pursuit of wealth, means of life), kama (pursuit of love, emotional fulfillment), and moksha (pursuit of self-knowledge, liberation). I feel content with these four aspects of my life and though I could be richer financially, I’m doing alright.
It is my understanding that once a person achieves these abundances he is obligated to show his gratitude and give freely his abundance to others. We don’t need anymore than what we need to be happy and content in this life, anything more should be shared to help others reach their own fulfillment, stability, joy and liberation.
In the end, I spent 43 days working on this painting almost everyday for long hours. I’m often working on multiple paintings at once and it was nice for a change to only have one to worry about, and perhaps this focused attention shows in the work.
I am thankful for having worked with Goddess Lakshmi and to have gained these insights. I feel lighter and more complete and fulfilled and now I want to focus on giving back. One of the ways that I plan to give back is by teaching art, both to individual students and in a class or workshop setting…more on that later
Thanks for reading my story about making this painting. Comment below if you care to share your own story of abundance.
This painting is available in several forms:
BUY A CANVAS PRINT ($575)
BUY A PAPER PRINT ($64)
Lakshmi - Acrylic on canvas, 30x48 inches 2023
If you enjoyed this post you might also like my story about learning to make a mala and the significance of tying and sometimes untying the traditional mala knot…
