“The Lambton Worm”. 2021. Oil paint on canvas. 36 x 24 in. (With frame: 46 x 34 x 3.25 in.)

Original oil painting produced as the final work from my “Divine Allegory” series, and previously exhibited twice in Nashville at the Crecret by CE gallery in “Group Show No. 2” and at the “Artville” community art show in 2023.

Artist Statement:

The slaying of the dragon is a critical moment shared by many a hero’s journey across the globe, but there is a nuance of punishment found in a select few that I find quite interesting. In stories such as “The Lambton Worm” or that of Cadmus and his water dragon, the hero is punished by a vengeful god for killing the monster that plagues their community. Every hero fighting a dragon must approach the battle with the confidence that they are destined to win and ride off into the sunset, but the true nature of a story is mysterious until it is over. 

Countless would-be-heroes fall to the fearsome beast before the true hero arrives, God spares the city of Zoar while smiting Sodom and Gomorrah, and the true lesson of a life might come well after the presumed final battle. 

How do we know we are the hero? How do we know if we are meant for redemption or damnation; do we serve as an inspiration or a lesson?

 As in all my work, I approach the story, and its difficult questions, with magical realism, bringing them to life on a modern yet classically dramatic stage. The oil paint applied in vivid and meticulous details forces the viewer to take the fantastic scene seriously, and the dragon becomes any one of the numerous apocalyptic possibilities we face today.