Friday, July 9, 2010

Ram Hunter Panel

Above is my pen & ink drawing of ram petroglyphs, this panel is about 10 feet wide, and is on Japanese rice paper. Below is a close-up of a portion of this panel. This was done as a commission for a resident of Cimmaron, NM. I tend to avoid this town as I've been pulled over there twice for speeding, so be careful driving through it. There is an incredible herd of Antelope and Buffalo nearby, but alas also a rifle range just next to the game preserve.
From what I know about ram petroglyphs and how I think of them to this day is that they are directional signifiers, so many rams means so far to go to where they are pointing. In the drawing I've included snakes to signify water, so the rams are pointing towards a body of water.
When I draw animals facing to the right I am pointing to the East or my origins, as an easterner, and again towards Europe/Italy. When I draw animals facing toward the west I think of my own journey to the Southwest eventually landing me here in Taos, NM. Over the years I have been fortunate to wander around the southwest looking for petroglyphs, and as more and more people have seen my artwork I have been told other places to see these great ancient drawings. Here in Taos very close by is a rock formation with some of the best petroglyphs I've had the opportunity to see.

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