Title: Koi Dreaming

Size: 38 inches wide x 48 inches high

Medium: Original Ink Drawing

Paper: 100% Cotton printmaking paper

Artist Note:

This drawing features my signature subjects, the koi fish and anhinga bird. The anhinga is also known as the “Devil Bird.” The name Anhinga comes from the Tupi Indians in Brazil, meaning "devil bird" or "evil spirit of the woods." Anhinga’s are also known as the “Snake Bird” for their distinctive long snakelike neck as it slithers through the water. And Koi fish, an ornamental version of the common carp, have a long storied history. Their journey dates back to the 4th China. In modern Japan where koi are believed to date back to the 19th century, brought to Japan from China as a source of sustainable food during war times. Since then carp have been breed by rice farms. Known for their coloring and lineage, koi are for a wide variety of color and though to have spiritual value.

This is a perfect thematic for our central figure, the Anhinga, a spirited devil bird that prefers fish to only dream and not quite attain our ornamental koi depicted here, circling and alluding as they are known as a spirit and forbidden to prey for food.