Thunderbird Emblem
February 26, 2012
“Thunderbird Emblem” 8 x 8” Oil on Canvas
This image was inspired by a Lakota Sioux Ghost Dance shirt, from an 1890’s era ceremony which was outlawed by the U. S. government. The Thunderbird is a prominent emblem.
Castle Gardens Petroglyphs
February 25, 2012
“Castle Gardens Petroglyphs” 5 x 7” Oil on Canvas
These rock carvings are from the Castle Gardens Petroglyph site in Wyoming. The symbols appear to be male and female as well as a bear footprint. Castle Gardens is an amazing mysterious site, and inspiration for many of my paintings.
Before Recorded Time
February 23, 2012
Before Recorded Time 11 x 14” Oil on Canvas
My paintings are about textures and man’s relationship to his surroundings. I often paint images that deal with the “domestic stage” in which people live. I am fascinated with the natural textures found in a buffalo hide tipi and the converging lines the lodge poles create. The circle is a recurring Native American symbol and I include it as a rendering of the sun symbolic of the radiating energy and passage of time. Life existed on this domestic stage well before recorded time.
Thunderbird Symbols
February 22, 2012
“Thunderbird Symbols”
24 x 30” Framed Oil Painting on Canvas
Various icons for the powerfully symbolic form of the Thunderbird are explored in this painting. The ultimate simplification of the Thunderbird symbol is a cross. This caused me to ponder the confusion the Christian cross symbol inevitably posed to the first Native Americans introduced to it. Cultural symbols very likely added to overall miscommunication.
Reminiscent of a time exposure on a camera, the mysteries of the cosmos are included in this image. This leaves me with the realization that life on this earth is but a blink in time.
Medicinal Prayer
February 11, 2012
I completed the Black Hills Stock Show, and met many interesting people; collectors, other artists, and the general public. It was a good experience, and led me to the next steps I will be undertaking. All amazing steps in this journey of being an artist.
“Medicinal Prayer”
12 x 12” Framed Oil Painting on Canvas
The primary imagery is drawn from the Medicine Wheel found in the Bighorn National Forest. Although the exact use and meaning of this early man-made formation is lost to time, it is still regarded as a place of ceremony and pilgrimage.
Man has made similar circular structures all over the world, showing an innate understanding of the power of the circle. Modern pilgrims, Native American and not, continue coming to the sacred site. Many bring prayer bundles, continuing to use it as a sacred site.
Story Inside a Sioux Tipi
January 25, 2012
Story Inside a Sioux Tipi
16 x 20” Framed Oil Painting on Canvas
The texture and converging lines of a buffalo hide teepee, or tipi, inspired this painting. I was captivated by the thought of how time was spent in this dwelling, and communal nature required. Long, cold Dakota nights were endured in such as a teepee, during which, the telling of cherished stories passed along tribal history from one generation to another. Symbolically, images from Plains Indians winter counts were juxtaposed into the heights of the teepee in this painting, to inspire the thought of the narrative manner in which culture was passed along before recorded history.
This painting will be available at the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, January 27 – Feb. 4th. Look for my booth in the Civic Center Theatre lobby!
Ancient Markers
January 23, 2012
“Ancient Markers”
12 x 12 Framed Oil Painting on Canvas
Ancient man left his mark upon the earth in many ways that are available for modern man to ponder today. This painting is inspired by The Medicine Wheel in the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming, superimposed with petroglyphs rock carvings found in another site called Castle Gardens, also in Wyoming. The nomadic people of yesteryear intrigue me, leaving an ancient reminiscent of the mere glimpse of time we are on this earth.
This painting is currently on exhibit at the Rapid City Civic Center. Look for the window display, hosted by the Artists of the Black Hills to see this and other artworks by this group of area professional artists.
Beneath the Surface
January 20, 2012
Beneath the Surface
21 x 24” Framed Oil Painting on Canvas
This painting is of a local landmark: Lookout Mountain. I enjoy a view of this mountain every morning outside my front door, with the sun rising to greet a new day.
Buying the land we built on, I was curious of the stories of what came before us. Was this a hunting spot? Most likely. Were there skirmishes? Perhaps. Nearby, there is an ancient buffalo jump, which I incorporated into the painting: one never knows what is just below the surface.
Sage Signals
January 19, 2012
“Sage Signals” 5 x 7” Oil on Canvas
A bundle of sage is commonly used to smudge, or purify in cleansing ceremonies. Also in this painting are ceremonial circles found in petroglyphs carvings believed to be shields as well as images from stone circles. These images are found through-out the world, but these particular images are inspired by those found in Wyoming. Believed to be signs or signals showing nomadic tribes hunting routes, they inspire the imagination and call to the innate for interpretation.
Sage has a double meaning: a plant, yes, but also a wise knowledge learned from time.
This painting will be available at the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, January 27 – Feb. 4th. Look for my booth in the Civic Center Theatre lobby!
Shielded Petroglyph
January 18, 2012
“Shielded Petroglyph” 5 x 7” Oil on Canvas
The image in this work derives from an ancient petroglyphs rock carving, of a horned figure holding a shield emblazoned with the ever powerful circle. Infused with energy and color, this image suggests motion and the rapid passage of man’s time on this earth.
These rock carvings are engraved into the most fragile of rock and it is amazing that they are still intact to be viewed. Many have been protected or shielded from the elements, and many stand firm out in the open, daring fate.
This painting will be available at the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, January 27 – Feb. 4th. Look for my booth in the Civic Center Theatre lobby!
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