I’ve been looking at snakes… Wanting to see snakes and how they are being used in other’s artwork. I’m sure it’s because I’ve been seeing so many on my walks outside, up in the hills. One time in particular really stands out for me, and dropped all sorts of new ideas into my imagination.
It’s been a few weeks now, but back in late May or early June, I was out a-walking along the dirt and gravel trail. While I walk I tend to scan ahead of me, but where I was walking the grass on the side of the trail can get a bit long and hard to see through. I don’t mind snakes at all, but when I hear a rattle, it can really make me jump, ya know? And I heard a rattle on my left. Of course, I moved quickly in the other direction, to my right. As I moved, I looked over my shoulder, and there it was… a rattlesnake.
You know how some moments gain weight, and seconds seem to stretch out forever? Well, I locked eyes with that snake, time seemed to stop, and we both just looked. Then, those eternal seconds passed, the rattlesnake moved off in the other direction, but I still stood watching.
I watched it move away through the grass, under a nearby tree and the dead leaves. Something about it was just so damn beautiful. What immediately came to mind as I watched was… Well, I seemed to be watching a powerful little reptile dragon. It’s brown scales standing out from the green. It’s rattle buzzing as it moved away. Amazing.
It also dropped all of these exciting new ideas for future artwork into my imagination as it left. A nice old mind bomb.
Snakes are out and about this time of year. I’d already seen a fair number of snakes in the days and weeks before, but something about this specific rattlesnake. Locking eyes with it…
And then, for the next week or so, there seemed to be snakes everywhere. I’d see them all over the place. In that week or so that followed, I came across 15-20 more snakes on my walks. Like I say, snakes are out and you’ll see them, but each of those snakes seem to be reminding me that my new ideas are important. I have to do something with them. And I will. It might take some time, I have so many things I’m working on first, but I will visit with that rattlesnake again in my artwork.
And I guess that is why I’m posting these images here. I want to see snakes, and remember… and I’ll start by collecting a little reference artwork right here.
