Dogstar Shaman

This is a painting of the Dogstar Shaman and his two sons who make the dog star constellation dance across the sky. Sirius, which means scorcher in Greek, is the brightest star in the sky and is the main star in the Cainus Major constellation. It is commonly called the dog star. 

The term 'dog days' was used at least as far back as Aristotle's time to describe when the constellation was visible  above the horizon just before sunrise. It marked the driest and hottest time of the year. The Romans would sacrifice a brown dog to appease rage of Sirius. The Dog Star would appear to the Egyptians just before the Nile flooded each year, so they utilized it as a "watch dog" for the flood season. 

Dogs were the first animals that we domesticated and developed a symbiotic relationship with. Humans and dogs have had a lasting impression on each other, neither species would be what it now is without the other. Many cultures around the world have developed relationship with "man's best friend" independently of and for different reasons than other cultures.

Fiddleheads

Picking fiddleheads was one of my favorite pastimes with my grandfather. We would walk together along the stream beds, then ran through the forest. Fiddleheads come out in the early spring. They are the first  food we can harvest after the long cold winter, so they are much appreciated and enjoyed. My grandfather was always very happy on these trips, because he has so many memories of picking them throughout his long life. He would tell me stories about times that they had particularly hard winters and they awaited with empty stomachs for the fiddleheads to appear. My grandmother would make a nice soup from them, but our favorite way to eat them was lightly steamed with butter. Simple and delicious!!

Five Weasels

This is a painting of a family of weasels, playfully chasing each other's tails. In many North American Native cultures, the weasel is considered an animal with strong medicine or mystical powers, but it is not always viewed positively. Some tribes consider him a bad omen and to cross paths with a weasel meant a swift death. Here in Greece, my adopted country, having a weasel around your home is considered bad luck, especially if someone is getting married. In Greek mythology, the weasel was transformed from an unhappy bride who loves nothing better than to chew up wedding dresses. Yet, in Macedonian Greece, they are considered an omen of good luck. Personally i think of them as very curious, playful and mischievous little creatures.

Communing With a Pregnant Doe

During the time of my pregnancy i had many interesting dreams, with this one being of my favorite ones. Grandfather came to take me for a pick-nick at Four Points. This place was called Four Points because it had water in all four directions: the ocean to the south with three streams leading east, west and south.

This is a very sacred place my Grandfather Bear and i loved going to, especially in the spring. The lavender bushes where blooming and you could smell them everywhere. The mayflowers were blooming too, but Grandfather Bear was looking for his favorite treat, bear berries. We watched a giant fish come from the north stream and swim out into the ocean. We watched female salmon come from the west stream to meet male salmon, emerging from the east stream.

Then, from the opposite shore, came a pregnant doe. Her eyes and mine connected and we could sense that we were both sharing the sacred experience of motherhood. Our tongues stretched out across the stream and connected, and i could feel the heartbeats of all four beings (both of us and our young ones) beating as One.

The Birth of My Wolf Boy

This painting is quite a bit busier than most of my paintings. Like most of my paintings, it represents a dream that i had. When i came out of my coma the doctors told me two things: that i would never walk again and that i would never have children. This was difficult for me to face as i was a young woman, who had just been in a severe car accident on my honeymoon. 

A few years later i had a dream that my husband and i were on a beach, when a giant turtle floated up to us. We climbed onto his back and he took us out to sea. My husband put up a teepee for shelter that also acted as a sail. We had six white birds (swans) and six black birds (ravens) circling around us for our entire trip and i could always see my Grandfather Bear's face in the sky. We traveled for nine moons before being beached on a tiny island inhabited by eight beavers. 

My husband then put on a shaman's shirt and began chanting while going through the steps of a ritual and his hands became wolf heads. I went into the teepee, gave birth to a wolf pup, who went hungrily for my beast right away. After that,  two doves opened the door flaps for me and i emerged wearing a pair of wings, skirt and head dress of the Thunderbird. 

When i woke up i told my husband about my dream and shortly after that i started experiencing morning sickness. I told myself it was psychosomatic, but went to the doctor to get checked up just to be safe. We found out that i was pregnant and seven months later i gave birth to my beautiful wolf boy. I guess sometimes God's plans overcome doctors wisdom.

Wolverine

The wolverine represents singleness of purpose and commitment to finishing the task at hand. Once he has made up his mind, his determination carries him through until he reaches his goal. The Innu tribe of north eastern Canada believe that the "kuàkuàtsheu" (wolverine) was the creator of the world. Og Mandino states "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."

Balancing Porcupine

Balancing Porcupine is the playful yoga master of the forest, perched on the tip top of a fir tree. The loon is the symbol of Harmony. Having  balance in one's life is important if we are to live well. The Hopi tribe of southwestern United States do not believe in good and evil. They believe in balance and imbalance. They have two forms of spirits, the "Kachinas" (balanced) and the "Clowns" (unbalanced). In the Tao Te Ching (Tao book of Virtue) Lao Tzu states that "The more man interferes with the balance of universal laws the further he retreats from harmony". Deepak Chopra says "Just as light brightens darkness, discovering inner fulfillment can eliminate any disorder or discomfort. This is truly the key to creating balance and harmony in everything you do".