In 2007-2008 there was a severe drought in our beautiful state of North Carolina. For anyone who loves nature, it was heartbreaking to witness...
Fish gasping for breath in puddles where streams once flowed... Plants withering and dying, lakes drained leaving eerie cracked dried mud mosaics...
For a while, at least, people were becoming aware of how vital clean water is to the survival of all living things. Mandatory water restrictions were imposed on individuals and families, while many companies and corporate industries blithely continued their unbridled use of the dwindling water supply.
My soul ached for the suffering of the plants and wildlife and I felt a deep seeded need to do something. "Go to the water for answers" is the wisdom offered by Native American traditions. I followed that guidance to an ancient valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains near where I grew up. Centuries ago this picturesque valley was regarded as sacred hunting grounds by the Cherokee people. A beautiful stream flows through the valley passing by pastures and farms on its way to join the magnificent Tuckasegee River.
The valley is also home to an ancient boulder carved with mysterious lines and symbols. It is known as Judaculla Rock. The name is derived from a Cherokee myth about a terrifying giant that once roamed the area. Although many have studied the markings on the rock, including archeologists and Native American historians, no one can interpret the meaning. Many believe that the origin dates back thousands of years to ancestors of the Cherokee and the site is still considered sacred ground by the Cherokee people. My Dad first took me to see it as a child. It captured my imagination forever. Perhaps it sowed the seeds for future inspiration that led to creating the symbol language to form Seasons of the Soul.
It was a beautiful spring day. After I stopped by the sacred rock to pay my respects, I continued on the winding road that paralleled the stream. I followed the road as it wound up the mountain. Higher and higher I went, past the end of the paved surface and onto the gravel road into the Nantahala National Forest. Nantahala is derived from a Cherokee word meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun" because many of the valleys and gorges are so deep that the sun only reaches the bottom in midday. To my right, the mountainside rose steeply upward, thick with forest and boulders covered in moss and lichens. To my left, the sheer drop off was unnerving as I peered over the edge of the road to see the stream tumbling down the mountain. I was hoping if I continued on, I could find the source of the spring.
Just below the top of the mountain, the road leveled out and I crossed a bridge over the stream. Past the bridge there was a large standing stone, 8 or 9 feet tall! It reminded me of the standing stones I had seen in Ireland. Standing stones were erected by the ancient Celts to mark the sites of sacred wells and other powerful places with sacred meaning. This resonated with me as I am aware of both Celtic and Cherokee ancestry. Immediately I thought, this is an ancient sacred place, no doubt.
In front of me was a natural rock alcove in the mountainside. A rock ledge formed a roof with trees growing on top. The walls were blackened... How many thousands of years had this ancient grotto sheltered the sacred ritual fires of medicine men and women of the past?
I explored the area sketching and photographing, I could feel the magic and enchantment of the place... I began to imagine an ancient ancestor, a great great great great ... grandmother. Perhaps she was a powerful shaman and seer. She could look down the stream of DNA and see future generations and even send messages to them. She knew I would be coming here with on a quest for guidance. She could see me and beyond.
What powerful visions did she see? What is the message for me?
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Before long I was scampering around like a kid looking for a hidden treasure. As I searched nooks and crannies, I felt a little foolish but exhilarated all the same. And then it occurred to me, if this ancient ancestor did have a message for me, it would most likely come in the form of a vision or a dream. Stranger things have happened so I decided to just flow with it.
As I walked around the large standing stone I happened to notice a little trail that disappeared into a laurel thicket. I found that it led to a small opening in the forest canopy where two streams meet. One stream wrapped around the left shoulder of the mountain and and the other wrapped around the right shoulder like a necklace. Where the two streams met was a pointy rock like the bow of the ship overlooking the combined stream as it tumbled down the mountain.
I stepped up on the rock where the two streams met and immediately I could feel the energy. I steadied myself by grasping a tree that grew out of the base of the rock. I thought of all those who had stood here before me back through the ages. The water is the life blood of the land and all living things. How could we have forgotten? How could we have become so distanced from our Mother Earth? I closed my eyes and I was flying high above the mountains below. And for an instant I could see all the streams that ran together to form the larger streams that fed the rivers... I was struck by the resemblance to the veins and arteries that carry the blood through my own body. I could see the finished painting in a flash, and it was phenomenal... THIS is what I am supposed to create! THIS is the answer to the question in my heart.
At the time, I had no idea what I was getting into. I did not realize that this artwork would be so involved to create that it would take over the next year and half of my life...
The next day, I bought a typographical atlas of the state. I looked at all the streams... and I realized that in order to create what I had seen in the vision, I would need to use tracing paper and trace all the rivers and then reduce and refresh the lines several times to get it to a size that would fit on the sheet of watercolor paper.
I became obsessed with the project... or I would have never gotten it done. I lost track of how many hours I put into it but I know it was over a thousand hours... tracing the streams from every square inch of the atlas, night after night. It was like a meditation in a way... While I worked on it I prayed for the rains to return. By the time the painting was finished, the drought had ended...
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click on image to enlarge
image size: 15 x 30 inches
STREAMS OF LIFE
NORTH CAROLINA'S
40,000 miles of
creeks and rivers |
Fine art prints are now available. The prints are made using archival fade resistant inks on acid free paper and each is hand signed by the artist. Price: $75 each (unframed). Framing is available. For purchasing information, please email me: sots11@hotmail.com
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Detail |
My intention with this artwork was not to create a map but something more... to spread awareness by helping people to see that water is the life blood of a living system. We urgently need to band together to protect this most vital natural, public resource from toxic chemicals from fracking.
We can all start by learning about fracking and its effects in other states with poisoned ground water, cancer causing toxins, and harm to wildlife...and then there is the earthquakes. We must stand up for the future generations. We must share this responsibility... all of us.
