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Indigenous Americas
Although I am an unenrolled Croatan descendant, under federal law I cannot call myself a "Native American Artist" or call my pieces "Native American Artwork". Even so, I treasure the traditions passed down through my family, including Cherokee and Creek practices, and those learned from other indigenous teachers from Greenland to Peru. I share those here while striving NOT to promote Hollywood or New Age stereotypes.
"Two Bison at Dusk", 2022, 18" x 24", Acrylic on canvas.
I was part of a Native
American effort to re-introduce bison to western Kentucky. For the most
part, they are quiet and tranquil - until they're not! Occasionally some
of us would have convince runaways to return to the enclosure, and one
young bull always made it a game of hide-and-seek. We can learn a great
deal from these creatures and their interaction with the environment.
Seeing this pair quietly grazing at dusk, one eating and one on guard,
I tried a post-impressionist approach with cool colors.
ORIGINAL: SOLD
Numbered Edition of 100, $200.00
Unlimited Edition, from $24.00 [Buy
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"Seven Ancestral
Fruits"
2021, 16" x 16", Acrylic on canvas
A tradition in some of the Southeastern nations is a bowl
stacked with seven fruits. In the center is a larger piece, usually yellow
or orange. The origin of this ceremony is forgotten, but some think it
is supposed to represent the planets and stars with the sun at center.
The custom is that the bowl is placed within view of visitors entering
the front door and is often backed by a mirror to multiply its the effect.
The Seven Fruits are an integral part of the Ancestor Remembrance Ceremony,
held at the middle of winter (about February 2), when a place is set at
the table for the honored dead.
Original: $800.
Numbered Edition
of 100, $200.
Unlimited Edition, from $25. [Buy
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"Anigeyv"
2022, 16" x 24", Acrylic on canvas.
Ageyv is the Cherokee word for a woman Elder, Anigeyv is
plural. These two women were the bison custodian and land custodian in
our efforts to revive an indigenous community in West Kentucky in the
early 2000s. Their names translate to "Butterfly" and "Star".
They were walking path back to the community center after a ceremony in
the field. They were both wearing blue, the color of the Land to the North
where the Elders reside after physical death. That's the way I'll remember
them, walking the Path together.
Original: $1,300.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $250.
Unlimited Edition, from $25. [Buy
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"Apuchitu and the
Shadow of the Black Jaguar"
2022, 16" x 24", Acrylic on canvas.
An Apuchitu is a mound of stones placed in either in the shape of an anthropomorphic portal, as seen here, or a pyramidal shape aligned with the cardinal directions as an offering made by the indigenous peoples of the Andes to the Pachamama (Earth Mother) and the Apus (gods of the mountains) or local deities of the place. Built on the slopes of difficult roads and maintained by travelers, it is at these points where pilgrims ask for and thank the deities. If the Apuchitu has a portal, some will gaze through in expectation of seeing the spirits. My journeys to Peru to work with indigenous Elders introduced me to the tradition and to the Apu Huascaran and to the Apu Kuntur of the Jananpacha. A cloud shadow on the distant mountain at left resembles a leaping Black Jaguar, which is the Shuar name for one of my Medicine teachers.
Original: $1,300.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $250.
Unlimited Edition, from $25. [Buy
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"Cacao and Metate"
2021, 12" x 18", Acrylic on canvas.
The cacao plant figures in the oldest Mayan creation stories, Cacao was called "the blood of the earth". Humans and the Earth were therefore related by shared blood. The dark reddish-brown cacao beverage was called "heart blood" by the Maya and "bitter water" by the Aztec. A handful of Guatemalan cacao beans and an archaic stone metate will produce a thick syrup that can be made into the beverage we know.If it has not been adulterated by modern processing, it is mildly hallucinogenic, brings emotions to the surface, and in a six-hour ceremony can lead to feelings of openness and the premission to love and cry.
Original: $800.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $200.
Unlimited Edition, from $24. [Buy
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"Simple Gifts"
2021, 16" x 20", Acrylic on canvas
Years ago in Oklahoma I was taught to make Cherokee-style corn husk dolls. Scraps of leftover cloth form simple aprons and headscarves. They are made without facial features, since making one with the features of a recognizable person could be misinterpreted as the first step to black magic. Somehow, they seem to develop faint features over the years. This is a lesson that while we may resemble our parents, our true face develops from what we do with our lives. Sprigs of white dogwood blossoms complete the composition. In much of rural America, far from splashy commercial stores, hand-made gifts are still highly valued.
Original: $800.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $200.
Unlimited Edition, from $24. [Buy
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"Two Paths"
2021, 16" x 24", Acrylic on canvas
One of the emblems of the Native American Church is a divided blanket of red and dark blue, bordered in gold. This represents many dualities in life and their containment by something else: day and night, light and shadow, life and death, It is a map of the human mind and of the universe. Worn with a white shirt, it presents the denominational colors of red, white, and blue surrounded by gold, paralleling the fringed US flag. The red-tailed hawk is one of the messenger creatures of the sun. Tail feathers are used for guidance in flight as well as in ceremony, and two slightly diverging feathers represent the choice of two paths often presented to us in life. The beaded disk represents the sun, the source of life and enlightenment, and the peyote cactus medicine for which the church is known. The soul's journey after death involved many forks in the road, where a choice of path is required, and the choices we make in this life condition us for success or failure in the next. After generations of suppression, Native American ceremonial teachings are often hidden in plain sight where a casual observer will overlook them as simple decoration.
Original: $800.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $200.
Unlimited Edition, from $24. [Buy
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"Descent from San Pedro de Casta"
2023, 18" x 24", Acrylic on canvas
The village of San Pedro de Casta serves as base camp and gateway to Peru's mysterious and supernatural Markawasi Plateau, a gallery of geologic oddities at 13,000 feet altitude. After a few days of deadly weather changes and altitude sickness, where electronics malfunction and aerial phenomena are common. returning expeditions see the village emerging from the clouds and rejoice in returning to the "real" world.
Original: $800.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $200.
Unlimited Edition, from $24. [Buy
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"Crown of Coca"
2021, 16" x 24", Acrylic on canvas
During my trips to the Peruvian Andes in 1998 and 1999, I saw that campesinas often work in the fields and towns with babies slung from their shoulders. The baby may be human, but also an alpaca, llama, puppy, lamb or even a piglet. This woman has put her charge in hand-knit baby clothes with a blessing crown of ceremonial coca leaves, an important medicine plant at high altitudes. This cria (baby alpaca) smiles because it knows it’s mommy’s favorite. I worked to capture the dazzling colors and intricacies of Andean textiles as well as the almost unbearable cuteness and innocence of the alpaca cria. May this bring you a smile every time you look at it.
Original: $800.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $200.
Unlimited Edition, from $24. [Buy
Now]
"Bluejay Vision"
2023, 8" x 10", Acrylic on canvas
Bluejay is loud and bossy, confrontational, and demanding of attention. They will ferociously defend their nest and young. The jay shows intuition, and carries messages. I worked to depict the geometric patterns that are often seen in plant medicine visions, and to let the rectangular patterns on the tail and wingtips appear as panels of stained glass.
Original: $700.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $150.
Unlimited Edition, from $24. [Buy
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"When Grandpa Gives You Side-Eye"
2023, 20" x 25", Acrylic on Canvas
Years ago I was ceremonially adopted by the 2nd great-grandson of Hinmahtooyahl Ahkekt, and given the name Kohotzteloh Ahkekt. To be given part of an ancestor's name, effectively the surname, is considered an inheritance as well as an honor. Raised to be a war chief, he came to recognize the futility of warfare as an instrument of policy, and dedicated himself to living and teaching the Way of Non-Confrontation. His father's English name was Joseph, and while the son's name was Ephraim, he was so often called "Young Joseph" that it stuck. "Ahkekt" is the sound of a lightning bolt striking a mountaintop, connecting sky and earth. His teachings influence me daily.
Original: Not Yet For Sale.
Numbered Edition
of 100: $250.
Unlimited Edition, from $24. [Buy
Now]