Transformations between different analytic descriptions of constant mean curvature (CMC) surfaces are established. In particular, it is demonstrated that the systemdescriptive of CMC surfaces within the framework of the generalized Weierstrass representation, decouples into a direct sum of the elliptic Sh-Gordon and Laplace equations. Connections of this system with the sigma model equations are established. It is pointed out, that the instanton solutions correspond to different Weierstrass parametrizations of the standard sphereS2⊂E3.