“Sedona’s Secret”

“There are many protected petroglyph sites in the state of Arizona , and the inspiration for this painting come from a site in the Sedona area. Located on private ranch land in the Verde Valley, these ancient images were long hidden from public view. These mysterious images may date back as far as 700 ad, when the Verde Valley was populated by the Southern Sinagua people. One had to push their way through the trees and under brush to view this sacred site. A remarkable number of shapes and symbols lay hidden here long after their creators had gone. Judging by the number of images alone, this must have been a magic place, a place of prayer and council.

The origin of this wonderful site is the belief in spirits, and these beliefs are what prompted ancient shamans to select petroglyph sites with care. For the magic to work, a spiritual presence needed to be present within the rocks and around each site. Many rock art sites were chosen for the natural shapes within the rocks. Formations and anomalies such as cracks, crevices, and holes in the rock surface inspired the creation of certain symbols and shapes. These natural rock formations were seen by the shamans as doorways to the spirit world. Even after hundreds of years exposed to the elements, the magic of these wonderful petroglyphs still survives. Bridging the fractures in the rock and managing to evade the damaging effects of lichen, these images still glow with a supernatural presence in the waning light of each day’s sunset.”