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"When visiting Amma's ashram at Amritapuri in Kerala, India, I felt time stand still. Even the Arabian Sea appeared meek next to Her presence. When walking to the meditation hall it was fun to see Laksmi the elephant, and adorable cows.
"My art is dedicated to my spiritual mother and guru, Amma, (Mata Amritanandamayi) with the desire to bring joy to others."
"I was inspired to relate Sanskrit verses and mantras with
my art as a way to add more spiritual understanding and depth. Sanskrit is an ancient language used for purification of mind and heart, whether through chanting, writing, or reading. "
To learn about Amma go to www.amma.org
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Back Story
"I started making art with deities at the prompting of my first guru, Sri Brahmananda Sarasvasti when he handed me a picture of the Rasa Leela and said to make this as it will go over the world (waving his arm). I was not interested in making art of deities as I really didn't understand them. I thought they were just brightly colored comic strip-like characters just for story telling.
So I spent over a year on this 6' tall fabric painting, then machine quilted it. My first rendering of the many women encircling Krishna gave me anguish to see I had made their faces look depressed, when they are supposed to be in ecstasy. I redid the faces and finished it, then shortly afterwards I was invited by the head of the Library & Archives in Geneva, Switzerland to send my art overseas to an exhibit, who just 'happened' to be visiting Ananda Ashram where I was living.
Next challenge was to figure out how to get the money to fly there for the opening. I was working on an artwork of Hanuman, writing the Hanuman Chalisa in Sanskrit on the art. One day an airline attendant who lived at Ananda told me that any time I needed a ticket somewhere to just let her know. My mind couldn't believe it...maybe these deities are really living aspects of God after all. Thank you Hanuman, who flew over the ocean to find Sita....makes an airline ticket as no big deal.
In 1993 my 'Rasa Leela' (left) traveled in a United Nations exhibition entitled, "Bertha von Suttner and Other Women in Pursuit of Peace" for 3 years in Europe."
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Anavadya's art is collected worldwide, including originals, prints, cards, music and book publications. She received her fine art education from Ringling School of Art & Design in Florida, with a BA in art education from TCNJ. She also: studied Sanskrit under Sri Brahmananda Sarasvati for 8 years; is a certified Kripalu yoga teacher; presented her art/yoga slide shows at the Dr. Dean Ornish institute in Sausalito, yoga/health centers in San Francisco, and upstate New York.
Between 1997 and 2005, Anavadya created large wood sculptures of deities shown here. Shiva and Hanuman are approx. 6' tall, 350+ lbs., made of bass wood, painted in acrylic with gold leaf. Sri Cobra is about 4' tall, painted in acrylic.
Since 2008 Anavadya has been teaching art in public and private high schools, as well as giving adult art workshops.
Currently, Anavadya is offering hybrid
art workshops in central NJ and PA.