Dryad

Dryads, also known as Nymphs, are tree spirits who inhabit mountain forests, groves, and woodlands. Every plant has a spirit. They are usually female, but some trees I have come across definitely have a male spirit. Tree spirits are beautiful, gentle, kind and a little bit shy. In days of old, woodsmen would ask permission from dryads before cutting down a tree for wood or even entering the forest. The word ‘dryad’ comes from ‘drys’, meaning ‘oak’ but has come to mean any tree-dwelling spirit. The dryad pictured is surrounded by her fungi friends. Her trunk is a pillar between heaven and earth and her branches extend to the Great Spirit.

[gold frame not included]

30 x40cm canvass in oils