New Woodies

I recently processed several wood images from a trip to Rock Park on the Truckee River into new Woodies. This was a very productive trip, I got quite a few cool woody images.

Here are some of the most recent.

Quan the Satyr

See more of my art and purchase Fine Art Prints on my website.

Check out more woodies from this trip after the break.

Sketching and Thinking Stage

I want to do some paintings from my new series of Wood Spirits so that begins with some sketching and idea mining on Google. I already have a photo I want to use as a source in one of the paintings.

Here is a sketch I did yesterday using that as a reference.

I was thinking of using him with Johnny Oldtimber who lives in the forests of Eastern Pennsylvania.

Johnny is a friendly tree spirit, called the Ghillie Dhu who helps lost children find their way home.
I was thinking of having a dancing child with Johnny watching him in the forest. I like that he is dancing with a flower in his hand to show an affinity with nature.

More Wood Spirits- Johnny Silvanus and Bobby Smallbriar

I'm still going through all of my woodies and creating Wood Spirits with some portraits I have already available. This weekend should be my first female model for a Wood Spirit. It seems most Wood Spirits throughout history have been female.

Johnny Silvanus

Johnathon Silvanus is a Waldgeist. The term Waldgeist is German for "forest spirit", believed by ancient pagans to be the custodians of the forest. The Waldgeist spirit was believed to live in the forest and be the protector of those with 'pure spirit' who entered the forest. If you are able to spot a Waldgeist in the trees it is said to be good luck.

A Waldgeist was often depicted in carved wooden form with leaves or twigs for hair and beard. They have a variety of forms the most common being an old man. It was believed that Waldgeists could foretell the future and were sought for this purpose. The term 'knock on wood' was believed to have originated with hunters and woodsmen who would upon entering the forest knock on a large old tree to awaken the Waldgeist to ensure no evil came to them. Waldgeist were known for their playfulness and mischievousness. They were known to like to play tricks on people but could also be good and would grant wishes if a person was felt to have a kind heart.

Johnathon Silvanus is a particular happy Waldgeist. If you're really quiet you can hear him singing in the Pennsylvania woods.

Wood Spirit Series

I've been busy making wood spirits from some of the portraits I already have for my new Wood Spirits series. I need to get out the paint and start doing some paintings as well. Here are my latest including a self portrait.

Ricky kodama-sama

Ricky kodama-sama (self portrait)

Kodama are spirits in Japanese folklore that inhabit trees, similar to the dryads of Greek mythology. The term is also used to denote a tree in which a kodama supposedly resides. The phenomenon known as yamabiko, when sounds make a delayed echoing effect in mountains and valleys, is sometimes attributed to this kind of spirit, and may also be referred to as "kodama".

These spirits are considered to nimbly bustle about mountains at will. A kodama's outer appearance is very much like an ordinary tree, but if one attempts to cut it down, one would become cursed etc., and it is thus considered to have some kind of mysterious supernatural power. The knowledge of those trees that have kodama living in them is passed down by the elderly of that area over successive generations and they are protected, and it is also said that trees that have a kodama living in them are of certain species. There is also a theory that when old trees are cut, blood could come forth from them.