The Gift is a large painting of mural size. The concept and inspiration for The Gift came about as the result of a visit to the home of couple who wished to commission an original painting. Their home is set in the scenic foothills of Corrales , New Mexico. My ideas for the painting came forth in thinking about the European character of the house…its airy, spacious rooms and earth tinted walls. The painting was executed on rough Russian linen canvas. I selected it to approximate the texture of a rough wall.

The Gift is about the mystery of succession, the miracle of progeny. The figures on the canvas include an equine family, five women and a rooster in his prime. Symbolically the horses and colt represent all the creatures of the earth including mankind. They are under the spiritual protection of the five earth spirit women. The rooster is the artist/creator. The rooster symbolizes the presence of the artist in the painting, paying homage to the ongoing event.

Some of our earliest prehistoric art is in the caves of Europe… in France and in Spain, for example. I thought of these cave paintings and what I’ve read about them—the idea that many of the animal figures may represent human clans observing the hunt, or the central event depicted. With these thoughts in mind I set about creating the composition and theme for The Gift.

The background is an abstraction of the trees in the bosque of Corrales. The leaves are turning red and yellow. The blue and purple Sandia Mountains fill the painting’s background, clouds spill down its west face. These unusual cloud formations occur during the late summer and autumn months.

The women represent the beauty and sanctity of the earth. They are spirit guardians who protect mankind and all of earth’s creatures. These guardians ensure that the human souls continue their journey of enlightenment after their time is completed on earth. The fruit represent the soul of mankind; the fruit not harvested by the earth spirits will return to the earth. They will come back again because they have been given another chance to fulfill their potential and live a better life.

The central spirit is seated on a boulder which symbolizes the earth. She holds an apple—the gift of life—out to the colt. This Christ-like figure is the feminine side of God, the Great Spirit.

The spirit figures were painted in poses to evoke a universal sense of power and beauty. Although each woman is an essential part of the composition, all of the spirits can be appreciated and viewed as individuals. Each one can stand on her own as a portrait figure in a separate painting.

The Gift is my largest single easel painting to date and I believe it to be a key work in my artistic career.

Edward Gonzales, Corrales, New Mexico

September 16, 2004