RESPIRO’s (Cigar Box Series)

In 1996 at the National Museum of India in New Delhi, I was captivated by rooms of Indian and Persian miniature paintings from the 12th-16th century. The mystery, detail, pattern, poetry and intimacy of these paintings all contained in utopian and exotic worlds has become an influence on my art.

This current series of Cigar Boxes, called "Respiro’s" (Spanish for respite), are respites from the suffering, pain and chaos that are often our world. They are idealized worlds, resting places for me as I paint them, and I hope they are respites for the viewer. The women are heroines; the landscapes are amalgamations of places I’ve been with a touch of the hallucinogenic. The cats and horses are nonjudgmental but ever-watchful witnesses of life. They are symbols of a constant companion, a playful muse, an adventurer. The animals are a 3rd eye and spiritual presence.

All are SOLD except:
"Flying Girl"
"For Fanny as a Little Girl"
"Incantations"
"Rio Castillo"