Crow Tale

Doing several paintings to hang in the new Spearfish Crow Peak Brewery, I explored Native American legends regarding the Crow and the Sioux Indians.   Enemies in earlier days, there are many winter count and ledger art records about battles between the two tribes.  Paintings I did for the brewery explored the legend of how the local landmark, Crow Peak, got it’s name.  There was a mighty battle in which the Crow Indians were defeated by the Sioux, and thus the name of the mountain.

I love the free-soaring forms of the birds in flight, along with the high contrast of the subject matter.  Soaring high!

Calvary and Indian battle

This image turned out a little blurry, but it is in keeping with my latest fear of imperfection  philosophy:  One must take action in order to move ahead.  I feel I could have re-taken the photo and made it perfect.  HOWEVER, the time and energy it would have taken to do it again, in this instance, would likely have prevented me from moving forward… it would have gone back into the “to do” pile, and likely not have gotten done.  I often think people fail to move ahead, due to feeling incapacitated in knowing it may not be done 100% to perfection.  Now, if this was a digital image of the finished piece, which I intended to save and use to promote the piece, that is another thing.  But, to hope to get around to doing it more perfectly later, would likely have resulted in me not getting to it, or worse, not progressing with the painting!

So, there you have it: a slightly blurred image, with the intent to show you how I draft in the subject matter of a painting.  The tipi texture is created, and the illusion of depth has begun.  The distortion of the figures is intentional, as this is a story told with the Native American as the victor.  A story told around an evening fire: of a battle in which there is a pursuer and one being pursued.

Wild Horses Close-up

I love the concept of wild horses:  the epitome of freedom!

My mother taken  me to several locations in Wyoming in which horses run free.  She has also taken many photos of them, and they have served as resource material in my art.   Horses were and still are signs of affluence as well as being vital to our culture.  They are definitely a part of contemporary western culture yet today.

The lodge poles in the painting are unfinished.  I scrubbed them out as I painted the tipi texture in the initial under painting.  Once I get the imagery finalized as far as content, then I will proceed with moving forward in space in the painting.

I am loving the color red… it is a prevalent color in my artwork.  I don’t know where all this red came from:  I used to hate red as too bold and garish… now that is what I love about it!  Hard telling.  Life throws me “loops” like this… just when I seem to think I know something concrete about myself or the world: it changes on me!  I guess it keeps life evolving and of interest…

Horses intertwined

Ledger art helps one realize the vital role horses played in Native American life.  They were everything.  They were of course, transportation, but also a concrete show of wealth.  They provided a means for hunt and war and self defense.  To “count coup” on an enemy meant to get close enough to touch him, considered to be much braver than outright killing him.  To have gotten that close was to humiliate one’s enemy.  Another form of status was to be able to steal away with an enemy’s horses from right under their noses.  That required skill, stealth and a great deal of bravery.

To see a dead human in a battle representation is upsetting: to see dead horses in battle, somehow even more unsettling!  This image is taken from a Native American Ledger Art drawing of a battle scene, and an image I was compelled to include in this painting.

Resource Material

The Year the Stars FellI love to research.  The seed of an idea is there, and additional art research adds the details for me.  Learning about Sioux Ledger art has been an adventure to me.  Growing up in the Black Hills, I was familiar with what it was, but the more I am comparing various ledgers from different tribes, the meaning grows.

The written word: whether in pictograph format or in a written form, is intriguing.  Recently, I was fortunate enough to spend time at the British Museum in London.  My favorite artifact was the Rosetta Stone:  truly amazing to know that this relic helped modern man to “break the code” of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.  Contrary to what you always hear about the Mona Lisa being smaller than one expects, the Rosetta Stone was larger than I thought it would be!  If you are interested in reading more about the Rosetta Stone, check out:  http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/t/the_rosetta_stone.aspx

Reno’s Retreat in progress

Battle of the Little Big HornThis is the painting I have been writing about, in progress.  It is in a stage of drying right now, as I like to rest my hand on the painting surface to do small detail work, so need it to be dry.  I am really pleased with it thus far, and am ironically, sort of hesitant to proceed until I have a firm idea of the next step.  It hits me, suddenly, and I am able to envision it as I wish to make it look.

I also am at a low energy level right now: and do NOT want to jump in and not be able to get into the magical zone that I find when all is aligned with my world!

Summer is beautiful in the Black Hills.  We have had an unusually wet and cool summer thus far, so everything is green and lush.  It will dry up quickly in August, most likely.  I do live in a beautiful place, and am thankful for the clean air, the friendly people, and the slower-paced lifestyle we are able to have here.

Detail of painting in progress

Reno's retreatI am working on a painting, based on an authentic Native American ledger art drawing, depicting Reno’s Retreat.  I am especially concentrating on depicting motion and chaos.  The textures and surfaces within the tipi in which the storytelling is set will add volume and depth to the piece as I move ahead in the painting.

A flash in time: a battle that will live on in infamy.  The details of which are depicted from two different cultural angles, and the impact of which has shaped our American culture of today.

Battle of the Greasy Grass

War Bonnet The painting that I am developing is based on a ledger art drawing of Reno’s retreat, during the Battle of the Greasy Grass… also known as The Battle of the Little Big Horn, or Custer’s Last Stand.   The image here is a detail from this painting.

How can the same event have so many different names?  The same way that the identical event can have different interpretations and meaning… it is shaped by the perspective of the teller.  (Or ultimately, the culture which publishes the history books)  Our information age is a leveling ground in many ways: the ability to bring other perspectives forward…

Check out a web page  regarding this battle!  http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6T5D_Renos_Retreat_Little_Bighorn_National_Battlefield_Crow_Agency_MT

My Artist Palette

Studio Pallette This is a peek into my painting process: here is my artist’s palette… messy as it is!  I utilize a disposable palette which has a rubber cover to keep the paints moist between changes.  I like to be able to start with a “clean slate” whenever I want, by just peeling off the wax paper surface.  Love the modern age!

I have an assortment of brushes, but end up using the same basic 5 or so… I use flats, largely, with a couple of smaller diameter rounds for fine details.  I also abrade the surface with a variety of palette knives and rubber scratching tools.  Addition and subtraction, I call it.

Brighter Colors

In my under painting, and overall plan for the images I am beginning, I am focusing on brighter colors than in the past.  I am excited to expand the idea of the vividness of the stories being told.

The narrative nature of much of mankind’s past is explored through my artwork.  Stories told, repeated, embellished… lost.  I ponder the family photos I come across in antiques shops, marveling that people could let them go.  But of course, in many instances, the images are passed along until the receiver no longer knows who they even were.  The narrative has been lost.

Stories change in the re-telling, and that in itself is an intriguing facet of mankind.  The incident is deemed to be more valuable if it has embellishments added to it.  I am researching an old western character, named Broncho Charlie Miller.  His story in itself is amazing.  That he chose to add to his own story with an embellished biography, has sadly, detracted from the reality of the incredible life he DID lead!   More about him later: I am certain it is leading to another whole series of art from me!