Manifest Destiny
The notion of Manifest Destiny was largely a governmentally convenient philosophy to justify westward expansion in the United States.
Reno’s Retreat
“Reno’s Retreat” 36 x 48” Oil on Canvas Amos Bad Heart Bull recorded a dramatic image of Reno’s retreat in a ledger book in which he rendered stories of the Oglala Lakota. His image of Reno’s retreat, and the still to this day debated details of the famous battle, inspired this painting. Upon his death, Amos’ ledger book was given …
Bison Hunt
Many of the ledger art images I have come across are very stylized: simplified forms resembling ancient cave drawings in some ways. The primal response to telling a story: to embellish where needed; and to simplify where prudent as well! I have been painting a great deal: especially liking this one, as it is depicting the importance of the bison …
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 …
Detail of painting in progress
I 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 …