Spring 2024

Day after tomorrow is my 43rd birthday. What's new? In the previous post I mention the sales site buy-original-painting.com. Well, that doesn't exist anymore for a while, I also canceled the Etsy shop that powered it and redirected the domain. I don't sell paintings on the Internet now, except for three paintings in a small project of my friends, to tell the whole story. We painted the last painting called Red Anchor together with Jonáš two years ago and dedicated it to his grandfather as a Christmas present.

Jonáš is the first one from the left of my gang, which lately I've been putting more effort and care into than in art. Therefore, the lack of traffic to my web portfolio does not bother me at the moment and I do not deal with marketing. It's a terrible nuisance anyway. :D Sometimes someone invites me to an exhibition, such as in February to the small town of Jemnice in the south of Vysočina (Bohemian-Moravian Highlands), where there was a very nice, I would say neighborhood opening in the packaging-free store Opobchod, where they offer the best regional delicacies. My friend Prune played the guitar there and the aforementioned Jonáš accompanied her on the kalimba. I was very happy about it, really. I was also invited to participate in the Czech-Austrian project Second Cities, where a certain immateriality, processuality is accentuated, they emphasize ritual rather than physical artifacts. I plan to burn biochar there on the river bank. We'll see in September. Other participating artists are Hynek Skoták, Tereza Holá, Lucie Králíková, Markéta Olšarová and curator Silvie Šeborová. Our initial trip to Graz last year was a great relief from everyday worries and I enjoyed it a lot. Austrian participants are Elisabeth Gschiel, Anja Korherr, Catrin Manoli, Franz Konrad, Igor F. Petkovic, curator Iris Kasper. I'll let you know when I paint a good canvas. I feel passion for painting still. For example, when I see how the buds on my trees are pouring, I see a meadow dug up by wild pigs, or in a gray forest, the blooms of the willows shine, calling the bees to pasture. If I haven't remembered this blog for a while, check out what I'm up to in the garden on my Instagram. I go there more often. And how are you? Write it to me in the comments. Cheers!

Buy Original Paintings

One of the websites I use to sell my paintings is www.buy-original-painting.com Modern technologies today offer amazing ways to achieve freedom of living. Is it a sign of self-anchoring in reality if we use them? It is important if they do not limit us and we are not addicted to them. Just as too strong desire that one of the Buddhist Precepts warns about, the dependence on social networks and the Internet brings us suffering. On the other side if an artist sells a painting every month, it will greatly help his budget. He can relax and devote himself more to his children and to art as such. Another aspect that I often notice is doing good in relation to the voice of my conscience. It's all matter of balance and according to my experience practicing Zazen and beekeeping are helping me to find some balance in this busy life.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - Conceptual Art

The other politician portrayed and inserted in the beehive is the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. See what bees did to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
jankarpisek.com

Hillary Clinton - Conceptual Art

The other politician portrayed and inserted in the beehive was the nominee of the Democratic Party Hillary Clinton. Bees made her eye blinking. See what they did to Donald Trump.
jankarpisek.com

Donald Trump

In my experimental art cooperation with honeybees their activity is fascinating but it's not what I'm focused on the most. My main topic is a tendency of human mind to interpret the reality. During Zazen practice we face what our mind is doing almost all the time. It's adding something to the real state of universe. Well, it's the principle of Rorschach test as well. It's more interesting because in this case the coincidental shapes are created by a superorganism of fascinating honeybees! It's funny sometimes to listen people's explanations of what my bees have done with the paintings I inserted in their beehive. "Do they feel your energy?" "Do they recognize you?" "Can bees read in German?" But I wanted to go further so I asked myself what is moving or exciting these days? And it's politics! And who will be the new president of USA is a matter of global impact. Mr. Donald Trump was called a threat at least for the United States by security experts. I drew his portrait and inserted it in the hive. I was surprised when after a single day it almost disappeared. They don't gnaw off the paper so quickly normally. (Maybe I have chosen a softer paper subconsciously.) Only his flag pin on suit and part of his tie remained. I drew the same portrait and estimated to leave it for honeybees interaction for few hours only. I was surprised again. This time also part of his amazing hair was left. Viewers commented massively that even honeybees recognized what a terrible man he is, that bees can predict future etc. Nobody knows who will be the next president of the United States. Maybe it will be Hillary Clinton. I plan to draw also her portrait for my bees. But I'm almost sure it's just a paper with some ink lines for the insect trying to clean up their home. And this shows something very important for real life. Actually much more important than who will be next American president.
jankarpisek.com

Surprising honeybees art interaction

The Wood Beings, honeybees interaction / acrylics on canvas, cca 39x40 cm, 2016

This is a surprising result of my latest experiment of art cooperation with honeybees. A simple acrylic painting on canvas was inserted in my beehive and in few days the little workers gnawed the holes perfectly shaping to the legs of trees. If you would ask a human artist to finish the painting it would hardly be so amazing. Yellowish auras around the beeings were also made by the bees. It's probably propolis solution. Find more bees-art at my Instagram, Facebook or homepage jankarpisek.com.

Video of Kopřivy exhibition opening

The Stems

Jan Karpíšek: "The Stems", dry stalks of nettles, goldenrods, hollyhocks et al., old planks from the garden, cca 101x166cm, 2015

Exhibition Kopřivy (The Stinging Nettles), Industra, Brno, 10.6.2015

photo Adrian Woźniak

You're cordially invited to a special exhibition project dedicated to the stinging nettles. See more at www.jankarpisek.com/koprivy

Urban beeing / Beekeeping in the cities

The Landscapebody

The original painting depicting straightforwardly author's experience of the unity of body and landscape.

Sex Death Rebirth

Here you may find an interesting collection of amazing images where sex and death are the topics: http://sexdeathrebirth.com/archive

Every Coat Is Fragile

The original painting by Jan Karpíšek 'Every Coat Is Fragile' is inspired by the painter's dream of impermanence, symbolically represents the fragility of the body composed of random white feathers lying on a metaphorical network of diamond eyes that look at each other in all directions.

Devavrata Singh Thakur aka Bodhi Saagar

I've met him on Facebook when he "liked" my paintings. But when I saw his artworks I had to do the same! Awesome meditation watercolors. And this is what Mr. Bodhi Saagar says about himself: "I am a self-taught painter living in the city of Ahmedabad, India. For me, creating a work of art is akin to establishing a way of communicating with the Universe. It is like building a bridge between myself and the whole, or if I may say - the Holy! It has always been the deep sense of mystery and wonder about the existence that has driven me to create. Nothing compares to the joy that I feel when I face a completed work of mine! It is like having a dialogue with a slice of the universe that had always been a hidden part of me, and has now suddenly been projected outwards, in the most tangible way possible. When you look at my works, I want you to be imbued by the same feelings of wonder and awe. And I believe that if I have created with honesty, my works will transmit those feelings into you without you having to make an effort."

In The Coat

The original painting on canvas by Jan Karpíšek 'In The Coat' represents a figure sleeping in a metaphysical landscape, partly covered by a coat that confuses with its shape, different from the sleeper's body position and curled sleeping dog. The metaphor refers to the perceptual boundary of the soul, the body and the world.

About the teeth, about the objectives, about the mind, about the tranquility

Original painting by Jan Karpíšek 'About the teeth, about the objectives, about the mind, about the tranquility' represents a metaphor for life wandering on own life-force (riding a horse) in Zazen, when our desires and ambitions grow as branches from the head, screening in outlook and the outer world is finally a revealing hostile landscape-crocodile. In contrast, there at the heavenly sea sleeping Buddha, the holy man in a tiger costume has reached aimlessness and tranquility.

New websites of Jan Karpíšek

It was published a new version of Jan Karpíšek's online portfolio on the address www.jankarpisek.com yesterday. I hope you may find it better arranged and easier to go-through. The older version containing more links, photos from the openings, curators texts and information is still placed at www.jankarpisek.cz.

Elaine Clayton

Recently I've seen interesting paintings that are truly to be called 'spirit' and that are imaginative indeed. See the works of Elaine Clayton.

The Teeth

Original painting by Jan Karpíšek 'The Teeth' is a reflection of his own body, specifically the teeth, as the landscape. Meditation on perception of the borders(?) between the Self and the world.

Natural human world

The original painting by Jan Karpíšek 'Natural human world' displays the author's first sculpture, variable ready-made from a wooden column-foot found on the dumpster in Brno Židenice and a strain from his own garden, created on the socio-artistic symposium Chaos Start 2012 in Střítež u Poličky. The statue can either symbolize how the human world grows out of nature, or how nature depends on the human perception.

Artist's campaign on international crowd funding site

Please share link to my story:

The Green Man

Original painting by Jan Karpíšek "The Green Man" shows the mythological figure that is often related to natural vegetative deity. Primarily it is interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or "renaissance," representing the cycle of growth each spring.

The Tree Of Ghosts

Original painting by Jan Karpíšek "The Tree Of Ghosts" is a visual assumption about possible different direction of human evolution. If our Apish ancestors would not leave the trees and would not start to walk on two feet and if they would instead of developing depredatory intellect and using instruments cultivated the spiritual and creative mind...how would our world look like today?

Painter Daniel Brock

Visit the websites of an Australian painter Daniel Brock.

The Horrible Guests

Oil on canvas "The Horrible Guests" represents a record of meditation during which unpleasant mental states arised. These are normal part of life. And as they arise they also disappear. Impermanence (anicca) is an important fact of reality so don't be too much devastated when horrible guests visit your mind. Available at ETSY

The Three Men

"The Three Men" shows three male figures sitting by a table. The first figure from left is staring up at some Ganesha-like god and he is a symbol of an idealist. The blue man sitting opposite to him is a depressed materialist, a mind full of worries. Between them is sitting a man of the middle way, just drinking his tea now and here. And that's it, Buddhism.

Zbyněk Mikeš

My friend Zbyněk Mikeš (*1979) is kind of a weird outsider. Both outsider human and outsider artist. Zbyněk creates very interesting paintings and installations. Recently I invited him to become a member of Svitava Art Group and it seems he agreed. See the original paintings by Zbyněk Mikeš. He can tell his strange daily stories very interestingly as well...

Thoughts - Head Over All

You may know it. Sometimes we're overwhelmed by our thoughts. Yet thoughts are just thoughts! It will be OK again. And then it will be not OK again... :-) I painted that state of mind in "Head Over All".

Velveeta Heartbreak

Yesterday, I've met on Etsy a Brooklyn-based artist called Velveeta Heartbreak who creates very interesting paintings. See that at his blog magicplasticcassettefactory.blogspot.com! Amazing psychedelic drawings!

David Chadwick's art page on Cuke.com

Today I checked Brad's blog and found a link to the websites Cuke.com by David Chadwick which are dedicated to Shunryu Suzuki, great Zen teacher. See the visual art section there.

Painting together with the bees

I said a few words in a teleview on national tv about bees and art, how I paint together with my bees.

I walked barefoot to the garden

It was an ordinary experience to touch the ground with bare feet. Very good one.

How to help Japan?

Artists may take action to support Japan in a new charity auction project Art Drive Japan. Thanks to Allan Yuuki Leal.

Kanagawa Biennial World Children's Art Exhibition in Japan

I'm stunned by beautiful children paintings while browsing through winning entries of Kanagawa Biennial World Children's Art Exhibition in Japan. By the way winner of the latest year (16th Exhibition) is a 6-years old Czech boy Oldřich Poul from Nový Jičín. Congratulations! :-)

Could gorillas practice zazen?

While beeing practicing 'just sitting' I'm becoming a bit more down-to-earth. Sick of a lot of my idealised paintings of spiritual concepts I wanted to make a next painting more realistic. Inspired by the inital scene of Baraka movie where monkey enjoys natural hot springs I pictured couple of resting apes. Well, the result is actually not entirely realistic. However. The male of semi-gorilla eating an apricot is just eating an apricot. Note a dead bird and annoying flies.

Seven heads

Once I've experienced directly existence of my feet. And then I experienced directly that also other parts of my body do exist without dependence on thinking. This painting was done after a drawing expressing in an artistic way that direct experience of independence. By the way I did not paint seven heads as stated in title which are placed in man's body on the original drawing (symbol of own thinking). Why is the final picture so sweet and full of "spiritual" stuff like blooms levitating in space? Don't ask me, it's just a sweet painting. :-)

Love

Original oil painting by Jan Karpisek "Love" was made to share and show the deepest sharing between two people, love, as artist experienced it: "I was not in my head, I have lost myself in You, dear..."

Zen Audio

You can find nice speeches by Michael Eido Luetchford in English with Czech translation at http://www.dogensangha.cz/audio-video/. Mike is Brad Warner's brother in Dharma lineage. I like them both. :-)

Dragon-Lion-Hero

Original acrylic painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "Dragon-Lion-Hero" represents a house-head of enamoured author, in which a monk practices zazen, distracting himself from his own drawing of a beloved woman, who is both a dragon and a lion.

Who is always listening how the sweet pears ring?

Original watercolor painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "Who is always listening how the sweet pears ring?" is a wider koan version representing meditation experience when suddenly both inner and out-of-head localization of sound appeared and an object for observation was also listening aparatus inside the head of observer.

Oheňíhit

Original natural painting by painter Jan Karpíšek titled "Oheňíhit" (same as the authors' freegan exhibition in Olomouc) was made as an artificial dried-up pool at Jans' permaculture garden, it was only setup and the weather made the painting alone. The big center, Sun.

Double Pool

Original natural painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "Double Pool" was made as an artificial dried-up double pool at authors' permaculture garden, it was only setup and the weather made the painting itself. Folded canvas, symetric but different halves. The longer you look the more you see.

Suddenly I localized a heard sound outside as well as inside my head

Original natural painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "Suddenly I localized a heard sound outside as well as inside my head" was made of aluminium caps (recycling as a freegan principle) and natural pigment in home-made oil colour. Based on meditation experience of sound inside and outside the head localization. The inner ear bones? Where is the Self?

The Little Tea

Original linear painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "The Little Tea" was created in Berlin in September 2009 exhibition in F.I.T., a former gas station already converted on the art side. A big muscled man drinking tea from a tiny cup is a funny metaphor of disproportion or power of natural chemicals?

Über Skizzen

Original freestyle painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "Über Skizzen" was created while Tobias Roth has been reading his essay at the Betakontext exhibition in Berlin F.I.T. of Dida Zende, a former gas station already converted on the art side, in September 2009. Painting based on listening, free associations in foreign language, which Karpíšek knows only partly and he understood only about a tenth.

Berlin Bear

Original common painting by painter Jan Karpíšek and Michal Gogora "Berlin Bear" was created on the Betakontext exhibition in Berlin during September 2009 in F.I.T. of Dida Zende, a former gas station already converted on the art side. A totemic armorial animal of the german capital city or just only a man with bear's head acts in a strange erotic scene with an excited woman.

Oheňíhit - Freegan art of time paintings?

The Cipher of The Web

Original painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "The Cipher of The Web" shows a silhouette of pure enlightened buddha having rest, who cut off all thinking and had an insight in tissue of web of the world. Fish without head, sun reflections on the water-table inside and outside of mind...

I Am Always Here

Original painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "I Am Always Here" represents a sleeping hairless man in mountains by the sea, surrounded with radishes, some woman's dark hair creeps by his legs, a fruit tree with ripening plums grows and a sickle lies close to his hand. A small bird is singing above his head and a boat with anchored fishing rod is harboured down the hill. The painting symbolizes Being out of wakefulness and normal consciousness, Buddha nature, not craving and no-thinking, sleep of Buddha...

In the Parquet

Original oil painting by painter Jan Karpíšek In the Parquet is just a visual note on watching the floor recently.

Skoda of the Indians

Original painting by painter Jan Karpíšek "Škoda of the Indians" (A Pity for the Indians) was created for the Landfillart.org project of Ken Marquis (Pennsylvania), artistic recycling the old metal hubcaps. The red Indian hunter on the painting wants to kill a deer but his arrow is really poor and anyway, the whole world is holden by Mara, the Lord of Death...

Winter Mandala

Karpíšek's "Winter Mandala" has been left on the artist's garden for the whole winter to be finished by natural process of snowing, raining, melting, winding etc. The abstract concentric circles with a strange spot in the middle could be understood as a metaphor of the Self.

Karpisek joined Landfillart.org

Phil Maggi - Blue FIelds in Paramount CD

OUT NOW on Idiosyncratics Records :
Phil Maggi - Blue FIelds in Paramount CD


Blue Fields in Paramount is a very personal and fascinating opus, a beautiful introduction to the style of this talented artist, that could be qualified as 'dark psychedelia for daydream believers'.
It has been mastered by James Plotkin (Khlyst, Khanate, Old, Phantom) and is out now as a limited to 300 copies ekopack release with a fantastic artwork by czech artist Jan Karpisek.

GET YOUR COPY HERE!

Denisa Krausova

In this case I don't want to speculate if the author's paintings are "spiritual" or not. Anyway artworks by Denisa Krausová (1981) are just excellent and getting better! No wonder that Denisa is receiving more and more public attention recently. After an exhibition with Lucie Ferliková in Divus Unit 30 in London there will be her one woman show in a prestigious gallery Ad Astra soon (opening on March 25th). Visit Denisa's websites: www.denisakrausova.net

Thangka Gallery

I've met my friend Pavel yesterday. He had a great news. :)
Pavel bought a very nice thangka from a buddhist monk Akka from Nepal who visited Brno recently.
See websites of him and his colleagues: www.thangkagallery.com
I like very much their charity project: www.dcwcnepal.org
The thangkas reminded me my diploma thesis which includes interpretation of the Wheel of Life. Today I will paint that on paper and place it on the wall above my painting easel. I believe it will bring more peace to the kitchen corner where I create my art.

Petr Pastrňák

Czech painter and visual artist Petr Pastrňák (1962) creates original paintings also considered as spiritual. Petr is concerned with meditation as well. Art is for him another way of exploring the inner space. His works are mainly abstract meditations as well as figurative. Visit his websites www.petrpastrnak.cz

The Lady (Svitava)

Karpíšek's ecological painting "The Lady" (Svitava) created with the natural clays only shows a goddess with bewitched eyeview and long curly red hair standing in the meadow. She represents the Svitava river, our Lady of calm woods in Moravian karst. The natural pigments are not fixed by any medium.

Hagazussa

Karpíšek's "Hagazussa" (One Who Sits on the Hedge) shows a witch on the fence between two worlds, surrounded with a fog.

The Roof of the Field

Karpíšek painted "The Roof of the Field" with the natural pigments (clays) from the Rudice village in Moravian karst and fixed it with linen oil and the damar resin afterwards. It shows the relevancy of soil and roof (As above, so below).

IBM carrots

Karpíšek's "IBM carrots" is a contemporary satirical interpretation of "The Angelus" by Jean-Francois Millet showing the today world's dependency on IT specialists. Everything in our civilisation disconnected from nature including the machines in agriculture and workers using the cell phones do need computers.