These paintings are very small 6 x 4" and tell stories from Bhutan. They are at Cumberland Gallery in Nashville from December 1st to December 24th at the Small Packages Show.
The Naga and the Temple
In a peaceful place in the kingdom of Bhutan, a temple sits beside a clear lake. In the lake lives the Naga. The Naga holds a jewel representing the fulfillment of the dreams and wishes of the people. The people of the village bring food to a monk who lives in the temple. The monk prays to the Naga and keeps the lake beautiful and clean so that she will give wealth to the people. The Naga and the temple live in a magical, peaceful place where wishes are granted when the people live in harmony with the lake.
Four faithful friends
All households in Bhutan have a painting of four friends on the wall. This image is seen everywhere in Bhutan. It reminds everyone about the spirit of cooperation. The bird helps the monkey who helps the elephant who passes the fruit to the rabbit and all have fruit from the tree.
The tiger is afraid of the frog
In this Bhutanese story, the tiger asks the frog to pick the lice out of his hair. While he is picking the nits, the frog cleverly picks two tufts of hair from the tiger. He puts one in his mouth and one in his rectum. The tiger asks the frog, “What are you eating? Let me see your teeth.” The frog shows the tiger the fur caught in his teeth and then he has a bowel movement. There is hair in that, as well. “He will eat me now,” thought the tiger, deeply fearful.
Bird figures out how to drink the water
In a Bhutanese fable, the day is sunny and the sky is blue. The bird is searching for water. Suddenly, he finds a jar. He looks in the jar and the water is too low to reach. He tries to think of a way to make the water come up. He has an idea. He put many small stones in the jar and the water rises. He is able to drink the water. The day is beautiful and he is happy.
