All we know is still infinitely less than all that remains unknown.
William Harvey

The illustration above is the last of a twenty-five piece series I recently completed for the children’s book, New Mexico: its History, Legends and Icons to be published by Impossible Dreams Publishing.

The painting depicts Doc Noss exploring the hidden treasure he claims to have discovered within Victorio Peak in southern New Mexico. While on a deer hunting trip with his wife, Noss reportedly stumbled upon a passageway leading to an underground cache filled with all kinds of treasure ranging from gold bricks, jeweled daggers, a Wells Fargo money box and even a huge statue of the Virgin Mary. In addition to all the booty, he described skeletonized bodies he came across, their hands tied behind their backs, or tethered from the neck. Much of the treasure was said to be of Spanish origin and there were theories that Noss had found a repository used to hide booty stolen from Mexico or a place where Spanish missionaries hid their wealth. The story became complicated with business partnerships, backstabbing, divorce, and even murder. The entire thing reads like the script from some 1940s film noir. Whether or not the mystery will ever be revealed completely remains to be seen but it’s a compelling chapter of New Mexico history.

This was another great illustration to paint, wrapping up what has been a truly enjoyable, year long, project. Steve Richardson at Impossible Dreams Publishing has been terrific. He’s one of those people who stands back and lets the artist have at it, feeling that creative freedom results in work that exceeds expectations. I thank him for the assignment, for all of his kind words about my work and look forward to working with him again in the future.