Meher Baba Art

Selected & Reviewed by Sarah McNeill

 

Writing about paintings is a pretty stupid thing to try and do, so "Thank you Baba for the Internet" with its growing cluster of stars one can now visit in that firmament. I suppose my first venture into that space was when I bought a poster of Baba sitting in a chair laughing. I liked it. It was done by Katie Rose and her website had been mentioned on the Baba-Talk listserve. I followed up the links and they led me first to www.flickr.com which features photos, where Katie has showcased many of her original works. From there I went on to www.zazzle.com which is where I was able to purchase a poster copy of the painting I wanted. That was some time ago.

A couple of months later the appearance of Baba’s face in a picture on a Saatchi art contest website grabbed my attention. I’d never have found it if it had not been flagged by Kendra Crossen Burroughs on (once again) the Baba-Talk listserve. That Saatchi art contest site must get hundreds of thousands of hits. The Baba artist was Spanish, Vicente Herrero Heca (see listed below).

Kendra has her own website, www.kendrasnotebook.blogspot.com with a section devoted entirely to Baba artists and some wonderful delights in store.

The Love Street Lamppost website, www.lovestreetbookstore.com is also a good place to go to find more examples of artwork. Just click on ‘Art and Art Books’ to see an interesting selection of what’s available. Many of the other artists’ websites I’ve listed below were named on the major www.avatarmeherbaba.org website and I also found Baba artists on websites such as www.absolutearts.com by doing name searches.

This review is by no means comprehensive, nor is it in any way a ‘best of the bunch’ selection. There are several major names included whose work will be well known to many; and there are also some new artists, part of Baba’s rising generation.

Balagopala. Bhaskara Raju

www.kendrasnotebook.blogspot.com

Charlie Mills

www.millsstudio.com

BalagopalaOne of the jewels of Kendra’s blogspot. Balagopala is described simply as an 'artist, performer and teacher in Andhra Pradesh' and must surely be well known to many Baba lovers, but for me it was a marvellous surprise to discover his work. Just two portraits displayed of the hundreds of paintings he has done. Those two have a stunning intensity of colour and feeling. Kendra’s notes give interesting background details.

Charlie MillsCharlie Mills began painting Meher Baba in 1979 and has completed more than 200 works featuring Beloved Baba, the mandali and landscapes of his home in India. Baba lovers everywhere know his Myrtle Beach paintings, “Long Lake Morning” and “The Boathouse” with their wonderfully impressionistic play of light and colour, and his portraits of Baba such as the “Guruprasad” profile, are also much loved. It is worth re-visiting this website for his more recent (2008) portraits of Baba: “The Real Me” wonderfully painted with soft skin tones and a youthful, almost childlike quality; and also, “My Great Uncle”, a radiant representation of Baba’s beaming smile.

Cherie Plumlee

www.belovedmeherbabaartcards.com

David Berry

www.davidberryart.com

Cherie PlumleeCherie Plumlee does an original line in cards. As with much of the art reviewed here, many of the works are familiar to Baba lovers. The Plumlee cards feature a range of what I call ‘pendant’ pictures of Baba, each in its own cameo setting of flowers or birds such as cranes, all perfectly designed and executed. But the site has the added interest of picture portrait cards such as “Divine Invitation” and the haunting “Merwan”. I was also struck by her “Golden Reflections” portrait of Baba with Seclusion Hill in the background; and the lovely “Garden of Being” and “The Gift”. And if you visit this website, you can’t miss “Jai Meher Baba!” – Baba mounted on his winged white steed at full gallop across a fairytale cloudscape, brandishing a silver sword!

David BerryDavid Berry’s website offers two sections: ‘The Art Times’ ‘dedicated to bring you spiritually uplifting artwork and information and to enjoy art more’; and ‘The New Humanity Times’ which aims to present stories and scientific news with a spiritual focus. Select the ‘Art’ option and enjoy an amazing collection of creative compositions which reveal Baba in a variety of unexpected and dramatic surroundings. “Surrender” is one of the ‘Ocean’ prints depicting a winching rescue from lashing waves; “Coal Miner” shows Baba wearing a pit helmet, his eyes looking directly at you from the darkness, his face blackened with dust. “Swans” and “As I Should Be Loved” are gentler and beautiful as are the variety of his paintings of birds, flowers and wildlife.

Diana LePage

www.kendrasnotebook.blogspot.com

Marius – Michael George

www.lovestreetbookstore.com

Diana LePageI didn’t find a website dedicated to the work of Diana LePage. I guess the new Pilgrim Retreat at Meherabad does the job better! But Kendra has featured eleven of a series of breathtaking portraits of Baba painted by Diana that were exhibited recently at the Myrtle Beach Centre.

MariusThe transcendental painting this San Francisco-based artist created of Meher Baba was featured on the front cover of ‘Love Street Lamp Post’ and is now available in poster form. I went to the website of this professional artist who has an amazing range of work on display. Well worth a visit if you are interested in seeing more of his work, though the LSLP cover seems to be the only picture of Baba.

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Meher Baba Art
All artwork is copyright of the artist and reproduced here for review purposes only

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