My wish is that we all can swim freely through the sea of Samsara without the burden of ignorance, hatred, and greed.

I had a fun time working on this mixed media set. I first laid out a light outline in pencil. I used pen and ink to outline the drawing. Using watercolor and gouache I slowly built up color, using white as a highlight to add depth.

The two fish have symbolic meaning through many ancient cultures. Within the Oriental culture the two fish are represented by the carp, which symbolizes happiness and freedom of movement. In India the two fish represented the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. The fish are also associated with the human bodies two main energy channels, the lunar and solar, and the breath, prana. The Hindu religions, the Jains, the Buddhist, as well as the Christian traditions associated the fish with abundance, freedom, and fertility.