“Ceremonial Artifacts” 11 x 18” Watercolor and Gouache on Paper

This Sioux shield, an artifact from the past, is symbolic of ceremony.  The materials utilized in its construction, the markings upon it, and the way in which it was utilized are all contain meaning.  The same symbolic intent is implied through the ancient petroglyphs depicted in this painting.  These pecked images (pectoglyphs) are representative of typical deer or elk petroglyphs found in the western region of the United States. (Thermopolis, Wyoming)  Ancient rock carvings held ceremonial purpose and meaning to the creators.  Although many of these artifacts remain and are valued pieces in early man’s record, their meaning is largely lost to history.