The Pelican Queen (study)

When I was in the hospital, shortly after my initial cancer surgery, I had a very vivid dream, a vision really, that stood out in clarity and importance from many strange and garbled dreams that I had at that time due to the anesthesia and pain medication. This vision was not born of those, and I believe it to be a True Seeing. ...I found myself sitting in a rustic wooden chair facing the ocean. Suddenly a large white bird - a pelican, flew and sat on the back of my chair. Exactly 10 other pelicans flew in and sat in a semi-circle around and facing us. The pelican was a totally unfamiliar bird to me, and I noticed that all of these were 'decorated' in some way: the longish feathers on their heads and necks were woven into elaborate patterns, and they were sparked with glistening water droplets that shone like jewels. The pelican that perched on the back of my chair was the most decorated of all. She 'spoke' and I understood. She told me that she was the 'Pelican Queen', the 10 birds with us were her guards and retinue. She told me that I would live, and invited me to come back home and live in California, so I could be near the ocean and Her people. While she told me this she combed and groomed my hair with her beak as though I were another pelican. This went on for a while before she bid me farewell and flew away with her retinue. I promised her that I would come when I could, and that I would do something for the pelicans... This is a promise I intend to keep - when I am recovered I intend to move back to California. I have been visited by The Queen and other pelicans since then in other dreams, and I have been quite inspired to create some art about them. This one is a study for a larger portrait of the Pelican Queen.

Above Left: "Portrait of the Pelican Queen", acrylic and ink and some colored pencil on Strathmore bristol, 8"w x 11"h. Click the image for a larger view. The piece is not for sale. Prints are available.

Egyptian Party Barge

This is a just-for-fun piece illustrating how I think a day out on the water might have been for the ancients. There are a lot of 'punny' little visual jokes in this piece - can you find them all?

Left: "Egyptian Party Barge", acrylic and ink and some colored pencil on handmade paper, 9"w x 4"h. Click the image for a larger view. The piece is for sale, $75.00, unframed. It's in my eBay store, or eMail me if interested. Prints also available.

"TYREE" - Sonoran Sand Mermaid

When I was in the hospital I had an extraordinarily clear impression of this being: she is a spirit of the water that lives in the aquifer under the hospital. She is one of those creatures along the line of the Sonoran Sand Trout - does it really exist or is it just desert folklore? For me, I believe that they do exist. I saw her so clearly, and she told me her name was emphatically, "TYREE"!

Left: "TYREE", acrylic and ink on illustration board, 9.5"w x 8"h. Click the image for a larger view. She is for sale, $50.00, unframed. Please eMail me if interested. Prints and cards also available.

"Naughty or Nice?"

I have several of these 4" x 6" hexagonal wooden plaques and for the Holiday Season (Halloween thru Christmas!), I thought I'd paint scenes featuring winged beings on them! Ah, the best-laid plans - this is the only one I got done! Anyway, here is that one I got done before my long illness: "Naughty or Nice?" - self-explanatory I think!

Left: "Naughty or Nice?", acrylic and ink on unprimed wood, 4"w x 6"h. Click the image for a larger view.

"LunaBell"

Just another silly self-portrait and the last thing I painted before starting my Tarot paintings. Thanks to Arayea for the inspiration for this!

Right: "LunaBell", acrylic on unprimed canvas, 11"w x14"h acrylic on unprimed canvas. Not for sale, although I can make you a print or card if you want!

'Life In The Water' - a series of paintings - there is to be another! These are inspired by a recent dream in which I awoke in a dry dusty barren greenhouse and found wonderful mysterious creatures living in a water storage tank off to one side. The dream speaks to the constant evolvement of my life's direction, and a new sense of where I'm going.

I was so inspired by this dream that the original small painting born of it has evolved into a series, some day I'd like to do something larger on this theme!

Click on either image to read the dream-story and see larger views of the paintings!

Left: "Life In The Water #1", right: "Life in the Water#2", both acrylic on canvas; both 8"w x 10"h, with painted wood frames. #1 has been sold; #2 is for sale $50.00, also both images are available as prints or greeting cards.

"She of the Tree"

I worked last year on some very large pieces, I think maybe as a reaction to having done so many small illustrations, etc. for so long! This is the first I completed, very atmospheric; inspired by how I believe trees have spirits within them. No real long complex story here, just an idea and image...

Right: "She of the Tree", acrylic on unprimed canvas, 60"w x 72"h canvas sheet. Not for sale. Click the image for a larger view.

"Rastros y Rostros de Catalina"
(Signs and Faces of Catalina)

This piece is basically my reaction to living and being an artist in a semi-small-town for a long time! The small town is plagued by all the usual small town stuff (gossip and 'personalities'), and the artist is often at the mercy of these. I often feel I have to take a leap above it all because I and my art aren't well accepted here despite the fact I've been here 20 years! Uninclined to change, I just vault over and keep on going...

Left: "Catalina", acrylic and ink on unprimed canvas, 18"w x 24"h, saguaro rib frame. This piece has been sold. Click the image for a larger view.

"Spirit of LeeLou"

This piece is from my 'Dreaming Tarot' series, and the personality pictured here is very important in my personal symbol system. In my dream-inspired Tarot this image is analogous to the Death Card #13, which I call Freedom and Rebirth. This woman LeeLou, is not only a woman but also Kundalini and has visited me in other dreams in the form of a snake. Click the image to read all about her.

Right: "Spirit of LeeLou", acrylic on handmade paper, recycled oak frame mosaic'd with symbolic found objects. About 10"w x 12"h x 2"d. Original not for sale; prints available.

"Tara or Lily"

Another dream-inspired Tarot piece, and one with great personal meaning for me. In my Dream Tarot she is the "Wisdom of Flyers", equivalent to the Queen of Swords: a thinking woman from whom wisdom flows; symbolic of responsibility for choices. Click on the image, and you will be taken to a page all about this piece: the dream-story is quite long and complicated, and quite psychological, I might add. I realize that in reading it you may think, 'what's the big deal?', but it IS a big deal to me, and hence this piece! That's the way Tarot, true Tarot at least, is: very personal and often incomprehensible to others! But the story is here for those who might want to read it anyway!

Left: "Tara or Lily", installation piece. Painting is 18"w x 30"h, acrylic on archival illustration board. Acrylic and faux stone frame; paper, wood and beadwork lily.

"Little Opal"

This is the piece that started my artwork in it's current direction, which is why it's here. It certainly isn't new; painted in 2002. It is dream-inspired and so seminal that I must have it on this page to share the story with you. Click the image to go to a page with detail views of the artwork and to read the story of Little Opal.

Right: "Little Opal", acrylic on handmade paper, custom handmade frame. About 10"w x 12"h x 2"d. Original not for sale; prints and cards of this image available.