Ganesha - Remover of obstacles

When I first decided to begin to paint again I dug out my easel covered in dust and found all of my paints, pastels and brushes. But like many a time faced with a blank canvas, I didn't really know where to start.  One day I remembered a painting I had started but never finished, having stored it in the basement. I dug this out too and started to paint Ganesha, the elephant diety and the remover of obstacles. It seemed appropriate that Ganesha would help me through my own obstacles.

There are many symbols each with varying meanings to Ganesha that I incorporated into the painting. Here are the meanings to those symbols:

Large head - Think Big                 Large Stomach - Peaceful digestion of all good and bad in life
Small eyes - Concentrate               Trunk - High efficiency and adaptability
Large ears - Listen more                One tusk - Retain good and throw out the bad
Small mouth - Talk less

The four hands:
Raised hand with knife - To cut bonds of attachment
Raised hand with rope - To pull one nearer to the highest goal
Outstretched hand - Blesses and protects on the spiritual path to supreme
Hand feeding trunk - Nourishment

At the foot of my Ganesha as he dances on a water lily is a rat:
Rat or mouse - Desire, unless under control can cause havoc. You ride the desire and keep it under control and don't allow it to take you for a ride.

For now my Ganesha is hanging at the entry to my house and each time I take a closer look at the painting I see things that I want to add or change. I still want to paint a bowl of food at his feet that represents the whole world is at ones feet and for the asking.