Happy Thanksgiving and arigato!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Many of you may already know that "thank you" in Japanese is "Arigato", and it is written as "有難う". It comes from "有難い /arigatai  ," and it roughly means that something which hardly (or hard to) exist - existing rarely /有る事が難しい .  

It might sound paradoxical, but when you reflect on it, it is easily understandable. 

It is to do with the attitude of gratitude and not taking anything for granted. It implies the attitude that everything is a miracle - hard to exist/to be.

There is a legend of Buddha relating to this. (...although the content of this legend varies.)  

One day Buddha had asked one of his disciples what he felt about being a human.  Then Buddha spoke about the story about a blind (or one eyed) sea turtle and a log with a small hole floating / drifting freely and randomly on the ocean. This turtle swims all the time and comes to the surface only once in 100 years. Buddha asked his disciple whether this blind turtle could, by chance, "happen" to stick his head into this hole in the log when he comes to the surface or not. The disciple basically answered that it is nearly impossible, and even if it can happen, it would take billions and trillions of years.
Then Buddha said, "To be born as human is even harder (rarer) than that." So, he taught his disciple(s) to be grateful to be born as human (or being reborn as human after being in the low, hellish levels/states of existence.)

It is true that for us to be born, even without reflecting on how many sperms must die, many thing must happen intricately.

First of all, the entire universe had to be created!!!

Thus, it is miraculous.

Feeling of unquestionable gratitude for being born as human into the vast universe is the first step towards true happiness.  

...and it is our DUTY to be filled with happiness from within and emit such happiness to the surroundings and back to the universe...

Portrait of Isabella d'Este based on the sketch by Leonardo da Vinci

"Isabella d'Este" © 2014 by Hikaru Hirata-Miyakawa

"Isabella d'Este" (Homage to Leonardo da Vinci)
Acrylic on canvas
© 2014 by Hikaru Hirata-Miyakawa

Here is my rendition of the portrait of Isabella d'Este based on the sketch supposedly made by Leonardo da Vinci. 

drawing by Leonardo da Vinci
citation: Wikipedia

Although some authorities claim that they have recently discovered the completed authentic Leonardo piece of  the said portrait of Isabella, I disagree with such claim. 
I am ultra conservative when it comes to the authentication of the works especially by Leonardo. 
There seem to be a sort of an inflation of such attribution these days. 
To me the final portrait has never been done by Leonardo, and since Isabella had repeatedly asked Leonardo to do her portrait, I did it in my style instead basing the composition on the drawing "done" by Leonardo.  This painting of mine has nothing to do with trying to complete the painting in Leonardo's manner. 

The painting of mine shown at the top is currently being displayed at eTown Hall in Boulder, Colorado.
It is part of my solo art exhibition (from November 16th, 2014 through January 31st, 2015).

Understanding of the tragic death of Robin Williams through Vedic astrology (jyotish)

D-1 and D-9 of Robin Williams

The news of the death of Robin Williams has affected many fans.

I see that some of vedic astrologers have already tried to understand this tragedy through the chart analysis, etc.


Although I am not a jyotishi, I would like to bring some points as well in order to understand this mystery.

I use Jagannatha Hora software, so if you are using other software, the calculation may be different. Since this blog is intended as a supplement for the vedic astrologers and friends, so I may skip some explanation.

I usually look at the main birth chart and D-9, the Dasha of the subject, and the transit.

I also look at the nakshatras and Yogi/Ava-Yogi points.

First, Robin was going through Ketu Mahadasha.

This incident took place in the dasha of: Ke/Me/Me/Mo/Ju

I'm including Praana-antardasa.

In Robin's natal chart, Ketu reside with Venus in Leo ruled by Sun which is Badakesha for Tula lagna, and they are in Purva Pharguni ruled by Venus, which happened to be where the Yogi point is.

By transit, Ketu has been in Meena, and it is where Jupiter(Guru) is in his natal chart which happens to be in the 12th house.

Moon is with Rahu in 11th house of Aquarius in natal chart, and at the time of his death, Moon was transiting Aquarius (Shatabhisha ruled by Rahu) as well.

By transit, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus were with Badakesha, Sun, and Mercury was combust and near the natal Mercury position and almost sandi in Cancer. Mercury happens to be Robin's Atmakaraka (Jupiter his Amk).

3rd from natal Mercury is Sani (Saturn), and Sani is in 12th house of Virgo. I have read that Mercury can negatively affect the planets placed 3rd from it.

(i.e. Barbara Pijan-ji)

Ava Yogi point is Purva Bhadrapada, and it is ruled by Jupiter.

Jupiter is neecha in D-9.

Sani in D-9 is in Shatabhisha (ruled by Rahu) nearing the transit Moon and natal Moon.

Moon in D-9 is in Purva Bhadrapada which is near Robin's Ava Yogi point.

Badakesha Surya in D-9 is in his own house of Leo/Purva Phalguni (near Yogi point/ Natal Ketu and Venus).

The lists go on and on.

It must have been really challenging for Robin.

I hope you will join me in the prayer for Robin for the safe and healing journey after life.

Thank you,

Blessings,

Hikaru

Reflection on the Hiroshima Day through Astro Boy - - - ( 鉄腕アトムに想う)

He is known in the US as "Astro Boy", but his original name is "Atom (アトム)," and as you may know, he is an atomic energy generated/powered robot created in the image of its creator scientist Dr. Tenma's deceased child, Tobio.

Instead of spreading the hatred and fear towards the atomic energy and its creators, the author Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫)
created Atom to courageously face the future of mankind and still deeply care for the humanity.
 
"Tetsuwan Atom / 鉄腕アトム (Mighty Atom)" was written in 1952 and made its debut on Japanese TV as a cartoon show in 1963.
I along with many of the post-WW II generations grew up watching this show and listening to its opening song written by Shuntarō Tanikawa (谷川俊太郎) as a lyricist and composed by Tatsuo Takai (高井 達雄).
I always feel energized and inspired after listening to this title song.
There is the phrase in the first verse in the title song saying, "kokoro yasashi... kagaku no ko", and that is one of the phrases
I love listening while reflecting how I am and must be towards the world.
It can roughly translated as "kind hearted, child of science".

The word,"yasashii," is usually translated as"to be kind (hearted)," but it also means "to be gentle, compassionate, and caring".
It is a revolutionary thinking to imagine the robot having compassionate, caring heart.

Another phrase I like is at the beginning of the second verse where it says, "mimi wo sumase, me wo mihare" which roughly means
"listen intently and watch/see/observe carefully".
At first, we are lead to think that the words are meant for Atom/Astro Boy, warning him to not to get tricked into corruption
by the enemy ("yudan wo suru na"), but soon we can realize that the words are meant for all of us.
To me it goes even beyond the "warning".
It reminds me of the compassion of Kannon/Kanzeon, the Bodhisattva who "sees" the cry(sound) of the mankind".

Let us be like Atom and be progressively caring and just.

こころ優しく、こころ正しく... ね！

How to appreciate art (paintings)...?

What is the good way, if not the best way, to appreciate art?
 
I 'd say, "by kneeling in front of it."

You might think, "Well, I understand the fact that each artwork is sacred, in a way, but that sounds too much like the religious devotion and not necessary appropriate for the appreciation of art, or does it???"
 
I agree, and what I mean by "kneeling" has a bit different connotation.
 
It is one of the many ways to examine how artist may have applied the paints to the given ground.
 
We are used to looking at the painting dead on. Certainly, we can do that. It is good to appreciate the size of the painting if it is very large instead of looking at the print reproductions or an image printed in the books. It is also good to try to study the colors of each artwork by examining the actual work.
However, we may not know the true color unless you know what kind of light (lamps) each room of the museum uses. The lights we use, for instance, can be the traditional tungsten light bulbs and/or the florescent ones. In the museums, the situation may be quite different. They know that excessive illumination can cause damages to the artworks, so some museums may not use the ordinary light bulbs. Depending on the quality of the light source, the colors may appear quite differently. You may have an experience comparing several books showing the same artwork with the different colors.
On one reproduction the color on some area may appear more orange-like, for example, and from the other reproduction the same area may appear more reddish. To help seeing the true color, one can bring a color chart, too.
 
The composition can be studied off the printed materials such as any post cards and/or the images reproduced in the books.
Unless one obtain a special permission from the given museum, the close examination of each artwork is not possible. If you are too close to the artwork, it will likely trigger a security alarm.
 

A section from a painting by Bronzino (photo by Hikaru)

One can still learn a great deal from examining the artwork from the distance.
To study how much paints(with or without the emulsion) are applied in which
sections/areas, for example, can be done by kneeling down and looking up at the painting in a certain angle where the painted surface starts to shine by reflecting the light. If the paints are applied thickly, it will certainly reflect the light differently than the areas painted thinly and smoothly. At the same time, one can guess how much emulsion (i.e oil) is added to the paints by examining the reflection of the surface.

The image above is a section from Bronzino's work at Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna which I photographed during the recent visit to the museum.

My new website: Portraits by Hikaru

Well, I've managed to launch a new website of mine exclusively dealing 
with doing the Portrait related painting commissions.

Since I've been doing this type of art commissions, it was necessary to 
create the new site. 
Some of the visitors of my older (but main) site have expressed that 
they were confused about what I do.

...and that's fair enough... because I do many things.

Besides, I have enough works to show in the new website independent 
from my main one.

So, I hope you will enjoy visiting my new site, and perhaps giving me the 
portrait/pet portrait/memorial portrait painting commissions. 

A sample page from the website, "Portraits by Hikaru"

I can immortalize your dear ones!

Please feel free to visit the site! Portrait by Hikaru

Thank you!

Hikaru's rendition of a painting, "St John the Baptist" by Leonardo da Vinci

Who is he?

Toward the end of his life, Leonardo decides to return to the Florentine motif of using the festaiuolo. According to Michael Baxandall, a festaiuolo is a choric figure who introduce the play and remained on the stage while the paly is going on acting as a mediator who may point to what is essential and/or central on the stage. ("Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy" Oxford University Press, 1972,  p71-73 )
Usually, the choric, angelic festaiuolo is pointing towards something and /or someone which clearly exists; however, we are not certain of what this being is pointing towards. Is it the Heaven? Dark void?
We also do not know the identity of this being.

He appears androgynous. Man and a woman in one. ...an original Adam before the separation/creation of Eve? Or is he an Angel?
Generally, this painting is known as Saint John the Baptist, but the cross and the animal skin, according to some of the experts, seem to be added later. If we mentally strip these "extra" elements, we are left with the few clues to the identity of this being.

A festaiuolo can be an angel or a human, so he can be St. John the Baptist.
We know that Christian tradition equates St. John the Baptist as Elijah like forerunner of Christ. By quoting the Old Testament (Tanakh), the New Testament Gospels equates St. John as the messenger who is sent before Christ/Moshiah(Messiah).
It is interesting to know that the word for an "angel" in either Hebrew (  מלאך ), Aramaic ( ܡܠܐܟܐ   ), or Greek ( αγγελον )also has a meaning, a "messenger".

The being in this painting seems to be pointing towards the point of origin. Is it the Garden of Eden where we may have fallen?
Or, one can see it as where we were born/created (a womb like place)
.. and perhaps the place we do return after death.

Perhaps this is a youthful angel of death imagined by Leonardo to take him to the world after life. It was towards the end of his life when he began painting this image and supposedly have brought it over the Alps to France.
This being is putting his left hand on his heart as if to swear that he is there to show Leonardo the way back(?)without deception and to take him on his last adventure/journey 'home.' This youthful being with the gentle gesture and a bit mischievous smile may be the combination of his beloved Melzi, and Salai. It may also be that this being is Leonardo himself in his youth, since the being is placing his "left" hand on his chest, not just showing the gesture to swear, but to remind us that it is "he," Leonardo, who had painted and created this picture, an inner self, who is the reflection of  "Imago Dei"...   {The painting at the top of this blog is my rendition of Leonardo's "Saint John the Baptist," and I have titled it as "Angelos" (angel/messenger) © Hikaru Hirata - Miyakawa}  

Throwback Thursday - Society Magazin article

Happy New Year to you all!
May this year bring you much joy and prosperity!

Today, I'd like to share something from the past as "Throwback Thursday."

Back in 2011,I was featured in the issue 357 of the Society Magazin in Austria. 
The magazine is related to United Nation and embraced by the heads of the government/state, the diplomats, and the powerful members of the high society in Austria and beyond, so I, as an artist in Boulder, Colorado, am very honored to be introduced into such circle of people. 
It briefly mentions about my interest in the life and the works by Leonardo da Vinci.
In fact the index on page 6 introduces the article with the title, "Universalkünstler Hikaru (Universal Artist Hikaru)" !
The magazine is published in two forms, physical and online, so I would love to inform you the direct link to the site. It is from the page 106 to 108.

It is also wonderful to be next to the article about the music festival directed by Ricardo Muti, an accomplished Symphony conductor!

The articles are usually written in German, but they have kindly written about me in English.

Please feel free to visit the site and read the online article!

http://mag3.i-magazine.de/imag/SOCIETY_Magazin_357/#/106 

 Thank you Society Magazin!

オーストリア国の、外交官、有力者、ハイ・ソサエティー　のメンバーの方々の間ではお馴染みの、Ｓｏｃｉｅｔｙ　 Ｍａｇａｚｉｎの３５７号誌に私に関する記事が紹介されております。　オンラインでもご覧頂けるので、もしよろしければ、お読み下さい。　普通は、ドイツ 語主体で書かれておりますが、今回は、態々英語で紹介して頂いております。　

海外に住む日本人として、大変有難いことと思います。