Chawn-tay-Chee-Kee-Yah - SOLD

When asked to paint a piece inspired by Native American women dancing my only dilemma  was which medium to choose. I have a library of photos I've taken at Pow Wow ceremonies around Leech Lake. In the past I have painted watercolor, brushed ink and acrylic paintings based on Anishinaabe dancers. For this piece I decided a brushed ink piece would convey the intense color and movement I was going for. 

Chawn-tay-Chee-Kee-Yah is a brushed ink painting on 140 lb. hot press paper. Size is 19"x19". This is a commissioned painting and is sold. The buyer named the piece which means My Heart is Inspired by You.

Fancy Shawl Dancer *SOLD

I have had the good fortune of being able to attend several Pow Wows in the Leech Lake area this summer. The Jingle Dress and Fancy Shawl dances are some of my favorite for accentuating the beautiful flowing style of the dancers. This illustration/painting is based on one of the fancy shawl dancers from the Leech Lake tribe. 

I sketched this piece with graphite and then overlaid my lines with FW Ink. My last step was to over paint with acrylic paint. I was careful to not overpower the dancer but hint at the vibrant colors of the dance. 

A good framer can really bring a piece alive. I went with Joel's advise at Heritage Framing and had him double matt the piece. He added a beautiful touch of raising the image slightly to give it a beautiful presence. 

With the Wind *SOLD

I photographed this dancer at a pow-wow in 2007.  At only about 7 years old he already looked like he knew who he was. He had confidence and style about him. In the past I have sketched him dancing but decided this time to sketch his walk. I started out with just the boy walking and then added the path around him. I used very simple lines. 

As I thought about a title for the piece my friend Larry came to mind. Larry is a midwesterner with a farm in Iowa. When he's not covered in wood chips, charcoal soot, or dust from projects, he is dressed with style and confidence. Larry once told me that his name didn't suit him. I asked what name he would chose for himself - he said, "I don't know - I need to find out what the Lakota translation for With the Wind - would be" I have called him With the Wind since. I think With the Wind and this little dancer have a similar presence about them.

With the Wind is a 8" x 18" graphite sketch on 140 lb. paper.