This is one of my all-time favorites of my own art, but I've never posted it here because its photograph was messed up. The sky had lost all its color and there were reflection specks on it due to a shiny coating I added to it. Finally I decided to just re-do the flaws with Photoshop so this is what the restored piece looks like. Some people would say the dragon's neck is too short, that it looks like a winged iguana. Well it has some iguana characteristics but have these people ever seen a real dragon? No, only the fossils, they died out eons ago. OK there.
As for the alchemical symbolism: The dragon, symbolizing the prima materia or Original Stuff of Matter, holds the glowing gold-red Philosopher's Stone, symbolizing the end-result of
the alchemical Great Work.
"The Alchemical Dragon" is acrylic on illustration board, 12" x 15", February 1993, restored in Photoshop. Click for larger view.
1 comment:
I can see why you like this, it is very well done and realistic. The short neck just makes it more original than some others and gives it a gargoyleish look to me. Glad you were able to restore it (one use of digital I have no issues with).
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