Create a colorful Shaman

based on the exhibition, Bill Stewart & a Shaman’s World

Create your own whimsical, fantastical creature based on the wacky imaginative designs of Bill Stewart.

To check out the exhibition from home, click here for a virtual tour.

Ask yourself, what is a shaman?

A shaman is a person who has a special connection to the spiritual world. Shamans connect to the natural world often evoking the spiritual essence of the landscape, as well as living creatures and other humans. An intermediary who can provide spiritual guidance. Shamans are believed to be able to talk to the spirit world, usually animal spirits. The job of the shamans, in addition to healing, is weather control and any other supernatural stuff that was needed. He or she might facilitate a ‘journey’ of one’s imagination, remove negative energy, or conjure up animal spirits as human protectors. Shamans often wear clothing that represents a bear, a deer, a bird, or another animal. For example, a headdress made of antlers may symbolize a deer, while a band of feathers and claws may represent a bird.

Materials:

• Paper
• Markers
• Misc. Craft Supplies: feathers, beads, ribbon, pom poms, etc.

Instructions:

1. Begin by drawing (in pencil) the shape of the body. This can be any shape you’d like. Make it large, one that takes up about ½ of the paper
2. Add a second shape for the head. Does it have ears? A nose? Eyes? Hair?
3. Do you want arms and hands? Legs and feet? If so, add those too!
4. Will your character have wings? A crown? Or maybe a tail?
5. What other wacky or whimsical features can you imagine for your shaman? A wheel for its nose? Birds, hearts, or flowers popping out and weaving in and out all over the place?
6. Now outline the main shape in marker
7. Do you remember how Bill Stewart decorated the surface of his characters with stripes and patterns? Using different colored markers, decorate the surface of your shaman – however you’d like.
8. Embellish with ribbon, buttons, colored paper, and jewels.