The story behind the artwork

Nephrite is a form of the mineral jade. The Maori people of New Zealand place high cultural value on the mineral which is known as greenstone. They carve beautiful weapons and sacred objects out of it. The Moari use a lot of twisted and interconnected forms in their carvings. As I painted this piece I was reminded of the nephrite works of art I had seen while traveling in New Zealand and throughout China.

The Chinese use a lot of serpent and dragon-like creatures in their works. In China it was used to cure kidney stones and to promote the health of the kidneys. In relation, the word nephridium refers to the "kidney" organ of invertebrates and mollusks. Mollusks are another subject I draw inspiration from on a regular basis.

Nephrite is also found in the American West, and there is an old mine near my own neighboring Joshua Tree National Park that I've been meaning to explore. Natures connections follow us where ever we go it seems.

nephrite
acrylic on canvas
30x24"

Additional Links:

Maori greenstone carvings, New Zealand.

Te Papa Museum, Wellington, NZ.

Jade dragons of China.

Nephrite mine near Joshua Tree.