"Oracle", acrylic on canvas, 40"x56", 1997

This painting was originally inspired by a group of old growth trees along the Sunnyside shore of Cultus Lake within Cultus Lake Municipal Park.

At the time this painting was created in 1997, I was looking at some of Rembrandts paintings and thinking of the tradition of devotional painting, how Rembrandt was part of a centuries old tradition of artists who glorified the Christian Church with their paintings.

My church is the forest, this is where I feel spiritual. This is what I wanted to portray with this painting - a special place - an "oracle."

In classical antiquity an oracle was a person or place considered to interface wise counsel or prophetic predictions of the future, inspired by the gods.

Oracles were thought to be portals through which the gods spoke directly to people.

Note: This painting from 1997, that I sold 12 years ago, has returned to my studio.

The current owner of the painting wants to sell it and I have offered to try and help by publicizing it on my website and by hanging it for a period of time in my studio for viewing.

Having this painting back is kind of like having an old friend return that you haven't seen for a long time. I get to look at the painting through fresh eyes while thinking back to the time when I painted it and what inspired it. I also get a great opportunity to take a new and higher quality photo, and update my image of it here on my website.