Temple Series II

Temple Series - Red Sea
18" x 24" pastel on paper
© Marka L. Smith
Collection of Tom Smith, Jr.

The Temple Series emerged from the glyphs as they evolved
from flat, language-like graphics into dimensional forms within
a landscape or open space. Living in New Mexico with its architectural
style of rambling walls, stepped roof-lines and arched doorways
inspired my exploration into architecture. The Spanish style of walled
homes and enclosed cities with their arches, domes, and enclosed
courtyards developed as a result of the Moorish influence in the
Andalusía region of southern Spain. Some symbols are recurring in
my paintings as I am intrigued by their cross-cultural references.
In particular, the double or multiple X arranged vertically is depicted
in many forms of ethnographic art including Oriental rugs, West
African ceremonial beer jars, and Hawaiian petroglyphs. Their meaning
seems to be centered around the concept of generations of lineage.















Night Time in the Temple
24" x 30"pastel on paper
© Marka L. Smith
Collection of Tom Smith

Sirius Mysteries

Sirius Mysteries
18" x 24" pastel on paper
© Marka L. Smith

I created this piece during the month following a retreat with shaman
Jim Berenholtz in which he led a group of participants through a series
of preparations over a number of days including learning dances and
songs and creating masks, that culminated in a community ritual that
coincided with an astronomical event. The event was held in conjunction
with the Sirius Mysteries being celebrated in Mali, West Africa among the
Dogon People. The celebration honoring the Sirius star system to which
the Dogon trace their origins, takes place every 50 years when Sirius B
is closest to Sirius A in its eliptical orbit around the much larger, much
brighter star. Sirius B is known to the Dogon as Po Toli, the Dark Star,
because it is, in fact, a very dark, very dense star. The Hawaiian's name
for this star is simply Po, also their mythic place of origin. The Dogon
(and the Hawaiians) had knowledge of the existence of the second star,
including it's orbital path, in this star system that is invisible to the naked
eye millennia before Western astrologers detected it by its influential
wobble on Sirius A. To the ancient Egyptians, Sirius A is named Isis,
and Sirius B is known as Osiris. I titled this piece Sirius Mysteries
because of the timing and inspiration behind its creation.