The dog days of summer have arrived. Recent days in Minnesota north country have been sunny, but a bit crisp and cooler. Seasons turning right on que. I have been working with this flower piece the past few weeks. My granddaughter Kiera, potted these bright blooms in the spring as a scout activity. They have been on the deck all summer flowering continuously inviting doing the painting. The acrylic on paper was untitled until Kiera saw it and said, “Oh, the title should be, KIERAS’ FLOWERS.” She provided a spontaneous, simple and perfect title! KIERAS’ FLOWERS is one of a group of florals I am doing for an office space. The colorful flowers will bring the warmth of summer inside any time of year.
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THE POWER OF A DREAM
Crazy Horses Dream
Commissioned in 2016, I was pleased to have the opportunity to work with the imagery incorporating the symbols of Crazy Horses Dream. It is acrylic on paper, measuring approximately 30” X 58. Here is a little information about the life of Crazy Horse and his vision dream.
Crazy Horse
“I see a time of Seven Generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under The Sacred Tree of Life and the whole earth will become one circle.” Crazy Horse
When Crazy Horse was born in South Dakota about 1842 his hair and skin were light in color. When he was young, he was called Light Hair or sometimes Curly, as his light hair was also curly. He was born a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe. Growing-up he had vision dreams. One very strong dream was of a single rider, a warrior, riding through thunder, hail and struck by lightning, leaving a lightning bolt on his cheek. In the dream vision the horse and rider were floating through the storm. The rider wore a sacred stone behind his ear. Curly Light Hair’s father interpreted the vision and said he was to become the warrior in his dream.. When Light Hair became a warrior his father gave him his own name, Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse became a great warrior and leader of his people.. As a warrior he empowered the spirit energy of his dream and wore a sacred stone behind his left ear. In June 25-26, 1876 Sitting Bull, Chief Gall and Crazy Horse lead more than 1000 Cheynne, Lakota and Arapaho to victory against General Custer and the 7th Calvary of 700 men at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Montana. A year later, September 5, 1877 Crazy Horse had surrendered, living a more peaceful life in a small encampment near Fort Robinson, Nebraska. And during this time rumor has it Crazy Horse was betrayed by the jealousy of his childhood friend Spotted Tail and Chief Red Cloud who had delivered their Lakota bands to white mans’ regulations the year before the Battle of the Little Bighorn and had then discouraged Crazy Horse from joining the battle. They informed military leadership falsely that Crazy Horse had threatened to kill a visiting general, General Cook, resulting in his arrest. After he was detained, he realized he would not be allowed to leave. As he attempted to to go, he was stabbed with a bayonet by a guard outside the door. He was taken for medical attention and during the night died. He was 35 years old.
The story of Crazy Horse is greatly condensed here.
References used:
The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History, by Joseph M. Marshall, 2005
Crazy Horse, Wikipedia: Free Encyclopedia, revision: 1/21/19
Top 10 Quotes by Crazy Horse | A-Z Quotes, www.azquotes.com/author/65353-Crazy_Horse empowered
ON A WING & A PRAYER
This is a detail shot of ON A WING & A PRAYER, monotype/mixed media, visible are thread, feather, beads and tin piece. I have produced many Ravens. Raven, the black bird of ritual, myth and legend, is known as creator and trickster and a symbol of continuance and bridging. They are found all over the world, mate for life and live in extended family groups. It is told by Northwest coast tribes raven put the sun in the sky, gave light to the world. The Pawnee of the Great Plains believe that raven carries the medicine of love. Raven is rich with ancient lore and carries many connotations from culture to culture. Raven in Nordic mythology refers to a pair of ravens Huginn & Muninn, messengers of the pagan god Odin. The Scandinavian pair symbolize the qualities of thought, desire and emotion. The threads and feather incorporated into this print represent Native American fetish bundling, small gifts of thanks to the wild spirit of raven. On A Wing & A Prayer, (detail), monotype/mixed media, 8” X 8”, private collection. Commission inquires welcome. Contact: lindataynahza@icloud.com
THE BIG CHILL
Polar plunge, polar blast, polar vortex, arctic blast, arctic freeze, THE BIG CHILL, the last days of January 2019 have provided extreme weather! Yesterday in the North Country of Minnesota the morning temps were -50 degrees in the Twin Cities and up on the US/Canada borderline -64 degrees with the chill factor. Baby it’s cold out there! Staying in, staying warm and sharing here THE MOUNTAIN, acrylic on canvas, approx. 38” X 38”, 2015. Inquiries welcome. lindataynahza@icloud.com
ART SONG
“Oddly enough, it is art, in all its inarticulateness, that best understands the difficulties of our collective social wagers, and best intuits what these abstractions can and should mean. Art and the imagination lead us away from communication as domination, away from mere communication’s impoverishing of the imagination, away from “information” and toward an intuition about our activities as the feeling of being alive.” THE MIDDLE MIND, By: Curtis White, 2003, Image: ART SONG, mixed media collage, 7” X 10”, 2000, private collection.
