Portrait of the Buddha

Contemporary Style Painting (acrylic on stretched linen 58"X26")

Artist: John Potter

This painting is part of an ongoing series that explores the use of custom linear halftones as both a structural and expressive device.

Conceived as a companion piece to "Siren of the Sea", the work was intended to evoke a similarly calming, meditative quality, akin to the contemplative atmosphere of a Zen garden. After considering several compositional approaches, including more elaborate, landscape-based settings reminiscent of sites such as Angkor Wat, I ultimately chose a more restrained and direct presentation in order to avoid unnecessary visual complexity. The underlying pattern is derived from the “Flower of Life,” a geometric motif commonly associated with Buddhist and spiritual traditions.

As with all works in this series, the painting originated as a black-and-white image—here, a drawing—which was digitally transformed into a custom halftone. This halftoned image then became the foundation for the final painted surface.

Unlike Siren of the Sea, which integrates two distinct patterns, this work incorporates three. When viewed in person at a typical viewing distance, the portrait and the patterned structure achieve a near-equal visual presence, encouraging sustained looking and a gradual perceptual shift between image and pattern. The repetition inherent in the halftone functions in a manner analogous to a recurring musical refrain, offering a rhythm that is intuitively pleasing to process.

In this way, the painting operates as a visual aid to meditation, inviting prolonged contemplation. It was a particular favorite among viewers at my recent solo exhibition, "Halftones".