Sambuddhananda Saraswati

Looking at the ocean with its mixture of rich colours, the water lapping around children's feet and a black and white dog splashing among the waves, I am thinking why do I want to create something? This is a challenging question to answer and would differ from person to person. To create something can be wonderful, frustrating, challenging and demanding. Demanding for not only the physical self, but also for the other subtle bodies, of mind, emotions and spirit.

I started part time art courses at the East Sydney Technical College in the 60s, which I had to give up due to work commitments. Spent many years in India and during that time I was occasionally able to express my creativity with illustrations for yoga books, which were made into blocks for our printing press.

Some years ago I completed my Diploma of Visual Arts in Rockhampton, majoring in painting and printmaking and have subsequently attended many other art courses.

What do I do?
   Some painting in oils and acrylics, a little watercolour.
   Some printmaking with all sorts of tools and plates. Etching and lino, embossed plates and collagraphs.

I have been involved with the Mill Gallery, Yeppoon for some years and shown my work in their many exhibitions. Also exhibited worked in the Bayton Awards and CQU and other institutions.

Capricornia Printmakers Inc. is a group of eclectic printmakers who want to explore and expand their art. As a part of this group I have shown prints in all our annual exhibitions for the past 8 years.

What inspires me? Unusual use of colour, graphic shapes, simplicity... but I love some of the old masters. A brush stroke of Rembrandt's can leave me in wonder as well as a Hokusai print.