‘Self Portrait as Lakshmi’
is an acrylic and mixed media painting on stretched canvas 24”x 22”. During its debut at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA., March 1, 2020, it received an honorable recognition.
Only a little narcissistic, this self-portrait is more about an internal connection with divine loving intelligence. It embodies all the qualities of the goddess Lakshmi. This is to see such abundance in my own being.
I’ve drawn and painted many self-portraits that have hinted at the prevailing state of my mind at the time. I’ve wanted to paint a large self-portrait. It would contain all the symbols and meaningful imagery that shows my lifetime on this planet. This painting titled Self-Portrait as Lakshmi is more of an early study containing just a few symbols of importance.
The elephant is an important symbol for me. Wisdom, loyalty, patience, and strength are inherent qualities. Starting in 1972, I walked into a “hippie-head shop” in Minneapolis. I fell in love with a wooden elephant nic-nac and, of course, bought two elephant nic-nacs. One by one, people would see and comment on my elephants. Eventually, they would give me one that they had. They might also bring back one from their trip to India and so on. My herd of elephants has grown into a collection. I’ve thought about eliminating possessions of stuff. However, every time I go through my collection of elephants, I remember the person. I also remember the place of each gifted ele. I even had an elephant tattooed on one of my teeth. No judgement please.
In about 1991 I asked a psychic why I was so infatuated with elephants. She told me a story about a past life. In that life, I was a least favored member of a harem. I would sit by the palace window. From there, I watched the elephants come and go from the city. They represented ‘freedom’ to me. The importance of freedom rings true to me and I accept that explanation.
I have closely admired the whole history and culture of India throughout my life. Choosing Lakshmi as a goddess to emulate or personify feels good to me. In this painting I’ve tried to balance her perfection with my own human downfalls, frailty and imperfections. Always striving to be better.
susan krieg 