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.