LISTENING TREE

Pele’s necklace in the third triptych of the Seven Generations of Pele inspired this painting. Her necklace is a Haieu (a sacred Hawaiian site). When you transition from aerial view onto the ground, you will find the Listening Tree. Honored by the lava stones, this being tunes into the woes of your heart. I was working on this piece one day when an unwelcome guest overtly vented their life problems to me. I was getting irritated. I wanted to paint quietly. Grumbling under my breath, I heard the tree in the painting say, “I am the Listening Tree. Imagine having to sit in one place for hundreds of years with the sole purpose to listen.” In that moment, a surge of compassion rushed through my body. I was rooted, present, and in acceptance of just listening. The Listening Tree not only hears you, but will teach you how to hold space for another. Share your woes with this ancient being, it has honed the art of listening.