My exploration of sacred wisdom began with the study of the “I Ching”.  I was searching for a way to create art that had a universal context.  The “I Ching doors” became an answer to a complicated wish: I wanted to create paintings that featured beautiful environments, worked with imagery relating to my personal process, and used a surface that allowed my paintings to “come off the wall”.

The “I Ching”, also known as the “Book of Changes”, is an ancient Chinese text that examines life as 64 patterns.  Based upon the philosophy of Taoism, the natural flow of life is revealed as an exercise in balancing the polarities that challenge our stability.  One example of change and its challenge is the cycling between loss and gain.  We welcome gain in the form of growth and wealth.  However, loss is essential in that it clears away the old and makes room for the new.

The river is drawing all the water out of the lake, symbolizing a process of depletion.  This is an example of loss in the form of "Exhaustion".

The landscape is filled with light, color and crops.  The dragon, resting in the shadow of the hill, is the symbol of creative spirit.  This image represents "Boundless Blessings", an example of gain.

Over a ten-year period I painted the 64 patterns described in the “I Ching”.  I chose doors as the surface on which to paint, because the doors provided two sides, one to show the elements in nature that symbolize the process and the other side to explore my personal experience and understanding.

To order a book that includes all the I Ching Doors, go to Publications.

To order individual prints, go to Prints.