Animal Saints (2017 - 2024) (Digital)

 I wanted to use bold single colours in these paintings after reading about the role of colour in the Ancient Americas. .

In Mesoamerican mythology, colours had specific, codified spiritual meanings, for example, for the Mayan and Nahua people, each of the four compass points was assigned a colour: white, red, yellow, black (N,E,S,W). .

With each of these colours also having a symbolic significance, for example, red represented the rising of the sun, but also death; and rebirth - the perpetual return of life from death. .

In addition, to the four classical compass directions, there was also a fifth point, represented by a central tree, or tree of life, which gave rise to all forms of life. This central tree was symbolised by the colour green. .

Also, I was going to make a drawing around the Xoloitzcuintli, or Mexican Hairless Dog, which is believed to be the first dog ever domesticated in the America, though given the number of pugs in LA, I thought they were a better [funnier] subject. .

And indeed, pugs themselves have a strange and long history, originating in Ancient China as the cherished royal dogs of ruling Emperors, before being eventually imported into the Western world in the sixteenth century, becoming popular with Dutch royalty, and court society across Europe, even appearing in several portrait commissions by the Spanish Master, Francisco Goya. .

Then, a little later, in 1745, William Hogarth, included his pet pug - named ‘Trump’ - in his self-portrait, “the painter and his pug” -- which is the best and funniest painting in the Tate Britain. (And you should see if you are in London, it is in display room 1730, on the main floor.)