24" x 36" acrylic on board
The great pueblo cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde are one of the most spiritual places I have visited. The whole area has a mystical presence in the same category of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and Ise, the centre of Shinto in Japan. Although much is known about the vanished Anasazi peoples who created that world, mystery still remains.
The coyote has been a legendary creature for the native people of the southwest. It is familiar yet elusive, a cunning and intelligent survivor.
I wanted to give this painting an almost surreal feeling with the glancing afternoon light and the coyote staring at the empty doorway. Perhaps he can see the spirit of the vanished people.