I pretty much just tidied up the line-work, so it doesn’t look very different today. But a couple people have asked, so here’s the photo that inspired the painting. It’s from an old National Geographic magazine. I’m not so happy with my rendering of the face, but really I was just looking for a framework for meditative pattern work. The pattern I used is based on Celtic manuscript decoration although I love the ones on the robe and background in the photo.

The caption: “The patterns on the robe of Peruvian healer Enrique Flores Agustin represent songs he sings during curing ceremonies. … Ancient or modern, the theater of healing works by creating strong expectations in the brain.”