Fourth and final Painting for "The endless River Project" Signs of Life *SOL20251206

Signs of life *SOL20251206

(King Achoque)

Mixed Media / Canvas

200 X 120 centimeters (79 X 47 Inches)

2025

Finally, the fourth and final Painting  of "The Endless River," part of the PECDA "Established Artists Grant of Michoacán" 

"Signs of Life" (King Achoque) explores the relationship between geometric forms and organic elements to depict fragments of an imagined society. Within this envisioned aquatic environment, an apparent axolotl form emerges as a symbol of regeneration and communal vitality. A red form suggests a Canoe.

Executed in acrylic and gold leaf on canvas, the piece presents a unique synthesis of Abstract Expressionism and Geometric abstraction.As I researched more and more about the Michoacán axolotl, an unplanned interest in this little creature was born.

I have been navigating the lake of the area (as much as possible) but have not been able to encounter it personally. One could try to "hasten" this meeting, but that would also mean intruding into its environment, as these salamanders appear to be very elusive.

I share with you more information that has enriched my research.

The "Ambystoma Dumerilii," better known as the Achoque or Pátzcuaro Axolot

In the Purépecha region this salamander is known as achójki (achoque or achole), which means mud, slime, or tadpole.

The word ajolote comes from the Nahuatl "axolotl," meaning "water monster" or "water dog," combining atl (water) and xolotl (monster/dog/deformity). In Aztec mythology, the axolotl is an aquatic form of the god Xólotl, brother of Quetzalcóatl, who transformed into this creature to escape his fate.

In Aztec mythology, Xolotl was a god of fire and lightning. He was commonly depicted as a dog-headed man and was a psychopomp.He was also god of twins, monsters, death, misfortune, sickness, and deformities.

Like earthbound immortals, salamanders regenerate. If you cut off a salamander’s tail, or its arm, or its leg, or portions of any of these, it will not form a stump or a scar but will instead replace the lost appendage with a perfect new one, an intricacy of muscle, nerve, bone and the rest. It will sprout like a sapling. Science has been chopping up salamanders for more than 200 years with the aim of simply understanding the mechanics of their marvels, but more recently with the additional aim of someday replicating those marvels in ourselves. Might salamanders be the great hope of regenerative medicine?

A sexually mature adult axolotl, at age 18–27 months, ranges in length from 15 to 45 cm (6 to 18 in), although a size close to 23 cm (9 in) is most common and any greater than 30 cm (12 in) is rare. Axolotls possess features typical of salamander larvae, including external gills and a caudal fin extending from behind the head to the vent.


The axolotl serves as a potent metaphor, often symbolizing regeneration, resilience, and a connection to existential themes. It represents a liminal state between worlds, enduring potential, and the delicate boundary between reality and fantasy. This symbolism carries added poignancy given the creature's critically endangered status, embodying both hope through self-renewal and a lament for what is fragile and imperiled.