The mystical aspects of Native American culture have always been important to Donald and have been a prominent feature in his work over the years. Collectors who were fortunate enough to purchase The Dreamer, as well as the two other prints in the Mystic Realm series, The Journey and The Arrival, have been enjoying this side of Donald's work for several years.
The Land Beyond continues his desire to illustrate this aspect of his culture. This image depicts a Native American tradition in which, upon death, a warrior's body would be laid on top of a funeral scaffold and the body of his horse would lay beneath him. Together the horse and rider would continue into the next life. Death, far from being a sad occasion, was merely a transition into another world.
Here, we see the horse and rider rising from the scaffold and walking together into a light. Faintly, gathered together within the circle of light, the warrior's ancestors wait, ready to welcome him home.
This is a wonderful way of expressing the Native American belief that our ancestors continue to be an important part of our lives. They guide us until the time that we pass into the next life and help the coming generation on their journey.
