Shiva Nataraj, or dancing Shiva, smiles as he dances gracefully in balance with the chaos of life. He holds a bowl of fire in one hand and a trident with drum in the other. Shiva signifies pure consciousness and is the ultimate yogi.

This image of Shiva was inspired from a tiny bamboo bookmark, just 2 inches long! I found his smile to be so serene and beautiful that I wanted to make a painting of him. Here, he is pictured at Shoshoni Yoga Ashram, with the pond and path to hiking trails beneath him and James Peak wilderness in the background.

This is the second of two paintings I have done with Dancing Shiva