“Horse and Shield of a Slain Warrior”

30 x 30” Oil on Canvas

To be a warrior was the most admirable of roles of the Plains Indian male.  Having died in battle, a fallen Cheyenne warrior is honored by a depiction of his shield and riderless horse in this historic image.  In my painting, the significance of the circle and the medicine wheel are suggested within this painting, by the repeated circular shapes. 

The sense of motion was motivated by a photo taken at a pow-wow in which the action and feathers inspired me. Motion from the past, still making ripples on the present… I am drawn to how the past impacts our current culture, and it is the themes of many of my paintings.  As a South Dakota artist, I am inevitably influenced by the cultures that surround me.  I am a painter, a Black Hills artist, and my motivations in my art continue to be such.  I found an image I created in 1995, and was struck at how the threads of these same themes were there at that time as well. (even though I was living and painting in Philadelphia at the time) The artwork I am referring to is inspiring the paintings I am currently at work on, so more about that later…

This painting is currently at  Prairie Edge Gallery in Rapid City.  See this outstanding gallery for more of my art, and that of other Northern Plains Artists.