Snake Goddess

Painting Details
Varnished watercolor on torn paper
52" x 8"
 
Seen on a hike near in the Cle Elum area of Washington State's Cascade Mountains, to Yellow Hill, burned in the Jolly Mountain Fire of 2017. From the many small burls, these trees were likely affected by some pathogen before they burned. The narrowed "head" and the flared "skirt" together with the many burls, reminded me of ancient Minoan snake goddess figurines. 

As the climate warms, forest fires are becoming more frequent and catastrophic in the western United States. My deep anxiety with the impacts of climate change on wilderness are emerging in this series. Burned-over areas of forest are riveting. Unfamiliar tree forms are newly exposed. Formerly hidden terrain features become visible. Normal greens, blues and browns are transformed. All the worst fires of the last fifty years have occured in the last five years.

Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about any of my images. All represent original paintings, not reproductions. I have many more paintings than are shown on this site. And, since I frequently work in series, there may be additional views of the subjects shown here.