Aphrodite's Birthday

[ZenDruid]

Under an almost full moon, I give you this: Old Sol pouring down sunlight; the Black Watcher looking on; Kokopelli the Humpbacked Flute Player making music, and Aphrodite Herself dancing in from right stage in her birthday suit. This is really about Kokopelli, one of my favorite characters from Southwest native mythology. He's a fertility deity, a trickster and a musician, like some rock stars. When he starts playing his flute, people show up and a party happens. Acrylics on 16x20 stretched canvas. Enjoy, C&C welcome as always.

 

[Donna T]

What a great cast of characters for a painting! This is entertaining and fun and so well designed. Your bright colors really make this one full of life, Zen!

 

[ZenDruid]

What a great cast of characters for a painting! This is entertaining and fun and so well designed. Your bright colors really make this one full of life, Zen!

Thanks Donna! I like to look inside my head for subject matter.

 

[Iain]

Interesting and effective piece, Zen.

There is an interesting audio documentary on the Pueblo Indian trickster clowns of New Mexico by the Btitish comedian Stewart Lee.

 

[ZenDruid]

Interesting and effective piece, Zen.

There is an interesting audio documentary on the Pueblo Indian trickster clowns of New Mexico by the Btitish comedian Stewart Lee.

Thanks Iain. I'll look that up. While I come from the southwest, I never connected with native culture until I read the novels by Tony Hillerman about a Navajo police detective who was also a ritual "singer". In 2005 I made a road trip to visit the Anasazi pueblo ruins in Chaco Canyon, NM. Fascinating culture, long story.

 

[laika]

Cool painting, ZD! I like your choice of characters, especially so near to the vernal equinox.

In 2005 I made a road trip to visit the Anasazi pueblo ruins in Chaco Canyon, NM.

I want to go there some day. We saw a lot of petroglyphs and pictograms around Arches National Park and Moab, Utah on a trip back in the late eighties. We saw Newspaper Rock on the way home; what a sight that was to behold! My betrothed actually has a little Kokopelli tattoo from that trip She says she may add some stalks of maize to the tat some day

 

[ZenDruid]

Cool painting, ZD! I like your choice of characters, especially so near to the vernal equinox.

I want to go there some day. We saw a lot of petroglyphs and pictograms around Arches National Park and Moab, Utah on a trip back in the late eighties. We saw Newspaper Rock on the way home; what a sight that was to behold! My betrothed actually has a little Kokopelli tattoo from that trip She says she may add some stalks of maize to the tat some day

Thanks Laika! Here's one of the larger structures at Chaco with a kiva in front

and their typical wall construction

There's a mystery of why the Anasazi people abandoned the site. Possibly a megadrought forced them. The place definitely has an atmosphere. Funny about the Kokopelli tattoo, my wife also has one.

 

[Terri]

I sure would love to be a fly on the wall and watch you paint, Zen.

I've traipsed around Southern Utah and Arizona but haven't made it to New Mexico. I'd love to see these structures. I've read some Tony Hillerman, too, awhile back. Fun stuff.

Love this wild and colorful painting! We had a clear night and a fabulous Moonrise for the full moon the other night.

 

[ZenDruid]

I sure would love to be a fly on the wall and watch you paint, Zen.

I've traipsed around Southern Utah and Arizona but haven't made it to New Mexico. I'd love to see these structures. I've read some Tony Hillerman, too, awhile back. Fun stuff.

Love this wild and colorful painting! We had a clear night and a fabulous Moonrise for the full moon the other night.

Thank you Terri! Watching me paint would be boring. I try a few colors, make a few marks and then leave it alone overnight, maybe days, while I think about the next step. I'm sure a few people looked at this hot mess and had a WTF moment and moved on to quieter landscapes.
Chaco Canyon is in the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado, about 10 miles down a dirt road. Very remote.

 

[Artyczar]

What a wonderful work Zen! I absolutely love this one. My favorite of yours thus far, most definitely. It's so full of authenticity and story. It's got excellent color and great characters. I just love this with all my heart!

 

[Terri]

Watching me paint would be boring.

Boredom is subjective, I say.

I'm going to remember this area! Would love to check it out.

 

[ZenDruid]

What a wonderful work Zen! I absolutely love this one. My favorite of yours thus far, most definitely. It's so full of authenticity and story. It's got excellent color and great characters. I just love this with all my heart!

Thank you Arty, that's a great complement! I did this last year for my own amusement, thought it might be too strange to show. We shouldn't think that way, some will like our work, some won't, we move on. We never know how far we can go until we've gone too far.

 

[rcleary171]

Nice work. The character bios play an important role with appreciating the workmanship. Your colors are pure joy; now there's a party I would like to crash.

 

[ZenDruid]

Nice work. The character bios play an important role with appreciating the workmanship. Your colors are pure joy; now there's a party I would like to crash.

Thanks rcleary, I was hoping to brighten up the day!