Occasionally, a potential collector will come along who falls in love with my work. For some reason, the size or color is not just right, or, the subject is not exactly her favorite she has seen in the past. This has been the case with a woman in south Orange County I met a couple of years ago at Art Walks in Laguna Beach. We have visited casually several times. Honestly, I felt I knew just what she wanted over her living room fireplace. So, I painted "Following the Shaman", just for her. And, I was correct...she loves it! And, in addition, I am working on a companion piece to hang alongside. I hope you enjoy seeing this painting.
Following the Shaman acrylic on canvas
Sometimes people ask me...what is your inspiration for so many paintings with a Native American theme? Well, ever since I left Ohio and moved west, I have had an irresistible attraction to the past and present of the American Southwest. While painting "Following the Shaman", I was reading
The Mind in the Cave by David Lewis-Williams. Although the book discusses at length, the intelligence of Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man and the limitations and benefits of their neurological makeup, it also talks extensively of Shamanic behavior recorded on ancient rock wall paintings. I believe the figures, shapes and colors in this painting capture the mysterious, spiritual world of the shaman as he interacts with the people he serves.
"My art is not about what I see but
everything I have seen or can imagine."
Shaman acrylic on paper
I so enjoyed using these colors...the cool mossy greens and grays balanced with the warmth of the siennas and ochres. I'm not ready to leave this palette so I think I will paint my next abstracts using these colors for inspiration.
