Water and Life

I looked at the paintings on my wall today and 9 of them were about water! Because this was not planned, I began to ask myself "why"? The connection between water and life is both foundational and inexorable. Only in the most imaginative SciFi is there life without water. Almost all cultures and religions both celebrate the gift of water and use it in religious rites. The great ancient cities were all near great rivers and ports. In arid lands, nothing is more valuable and precious. Who can forget the early scene in Lawrence of Arabia where a man is killed for drinking from a well without permission from it's owner! The painting above is an imaginary bend in the Chama River, bringing life to the high desert of New Mexico long before people modified the landscape.

Rivers in particular, seem to capture the movement of life and it's journey. Beginning small, they grow and grow, gaining input from others, finally emptying themselves into some vast, mysterious ocean where all others also end. Sitting by a river, I like to just close my eyes and listen to the almost musical quality of it's sound. I often reflect on where I have come from and where I am going, what life am I bringing to others and how I am impacting my world. Things that are important, not the urgent mental clutter that controls us so much of the time. Perhaps that is why I paint them.

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