The Diamond Path

Medium:

oil on panel 2007

Print Size:

24 x 24"

Print Medium:

neutral PH, acid free canvas, 330 gsm

Edition Size:

24 prints

Price:

$700 - FREE Shipping

In December 2006 I was commissioned to paint a painting combining the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl and the Tibetan Dragon. Challenged by the unusual nature of this combination of mythological entities I began sketching. Both Aztec and Mayan mythology and Tibetan Buddhist lore had long been of interest to me, so this was a chance to further explore.

The reptilian nature of the snake and the dragon first led me to think of the Ourobouros, the snake biting it's own tail that is an ancient Greek symbol of the cyclical nature of life. Sketching the serpent and the dragon in a visually pleasing way rendered an image that reminded me of the infinity symbol, but with an extra loop.

Next I thought of having the Tree of Life rise through the center loop. The Maya regarded the Milky Way as the Tree of Life and the plane of our solar system crossing that tree was often represented as a double-headed serpent. After rejecting the idea of a cross shaped painting I came up with the diamond shape, which features prominently in the shape of the Vajra, the Tibetan thunderbolt. Thinking of the feathered serpent and the Tibetan dragon as manifesting cosmic energies I then decided to create a radiating pattern of diamonds inside of which to paint the starry Tree of Life, it's roots forming a skull to represent life rising from decay.

While doing image research I was often struck by the similarity of images in two such seemingly different cultures. Tibetan skull masked dancers looking very much like Dio de Los Muertos images. The pattern on the back of Quetzalcoatl in the codices showed a striking resemblance to the mystic knot, one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism.

I could now make the serpent and the dragon manifest from the starry world inside the pattern into the outside world of the background, where I combined a Mayan pyramid and a Buddhist chorten, both symbolic world axis, and the snow capped Himalayas with the Central American jungle. I added the monarch butterfly as a further symbol of transformation and to help guide the eye up the steps of the pyramid, where a scattering of monkeys also helped break the monotony of the stone steps.

The final result is a dynamic painting of two after all not so dissimilar cultures in one image.

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