Within our culture many people associate the word Shaman with a masked, costumed tribal person who dances around a fire in the dark, drums beating while performing a mysterious ritual. Apart from our western societies belief of masks and rituals the individual Shaman possesses a very real skill, a skill that distinguishes him or her from other kinds of practitioners. All true Shamans are able to achieve expanded states of awareness and visionary perceptions that tribal people call the Spirit world. Usually they perform these unusual abilities to heal members of their community physically, emotionally and spiritually. The traditional Shaman is a master of trance opening the doorway to the mind.

 

Shaman Tree, for me consciously came from a yearning to paint a Shaman from the Amazon who would heal the rainforest jungles from the greed that is creating its destruction. He is painted green like the forest and also the color of (U.S.) money. I believe we are able to make choices that would help humans go from greed to green.

Nature holds the secret powers of alchemy that give or take away life in the natural cycles of creation. The rhythms of nature have the power to heal and balance all things upon the Earth if we would only learn to live in harmony with it.

I painted him green like the leaves of the trees he so loves, as he also represents the Celtic legend, "The Green Man". My feeling is, he is one in the same and exists everywhere. His Spirit even lives in the concrete jungle he carries his memory and holds his vision. He is only waiting for us to listen to his subtle whispers so he can teach us once again how to respect the plant and animal kingdom and receive the abundance that nature has to offer us.

A tree grows out of his head, the roots and the branches appear to have no beginning, and no end, which represents our deep infinite inner growing, and our ever-reaching outward, always searching nature, for the Divine. The Shaman has learned the awareness that assists in the conscious communication to the Divine essence in all things in this world, and beyond. It is this same awareness that is available to us all and it teaches us to honor and respect all that exists.