You can tell us about an art page here. You can also send your artwork as an email attachment to Webmaster@talking-feather.com. Please Note: All art work exhibited on these pages is the property of the artists listed. For inquiries, contact the artist or Talking Feather staff.
Duane Dishta-(1946-2011)-Zuni-Hopi
Kachinas rise from Kiva Painting, by Duane Dishta
Born in Zuni Pueblo on November 21, 1946, Duane Dishta came into the world with design and creativity in his blood. His father Frank Dishta was already a famous silversmith, the creator of a new type of cluster jewelry…Though Duane learned jewelry making at an early age, for some reason he was more interested in painting. Work from his teenage years still surviving in the village shows the influence of the so-called “Indian” style of the Dorothy Dunn studio; flat, two- dimensional figures in tempera, usually featuring katsina figures. To learn more about Duane Dishta click here
Kachinas On Rooftop Painting, by Duane Dishta,
Acee Blue Eagle-(1909 – 1959) Pawnee-Creek
Shield Dancer by Acee Blue Eagle
Acee Blue Eagle (17 August 1909 – 18 June 1959) was a Pawnee-Creek artist, teacher, and celebrity. Born Alex C. McIntosh near Anadarko, Oklahoma, Blue Eagle attended Indian schools at Anadarko, Nuyaka, and Euchee, Oklahoma, and the Haskell and Chilocco Indian schools. Advanced study came at Bacone Indian College and the University of Oklahoma. At the latter, he studied with Oscar B. Jacobson. Privately he studied with Winold Reiss. A prolific painter who, for the sake of authenticity, carried out research in libraries and museums, Blue Eagle was an outstanding American Indian artist of the 1930s-1950s. His paintings hung in many exhibits around the country.
Peyote Dream by Acee Blue Eagle
Patrick DesJarlait-(1921–1972) Ojibwa
Woman with Blueberries by Patrick DesJarlait
Patrick_DesJarlait was born into the Red Lake tribe of the Ojibwa in 1921. He first developed an interest in an art career while at Red Lake High School, and went on to study art at Arizona State College in Phoenix. During World War II, DesJarlait entered government service, where he was sent to teach an art workshop at a nearby Japanese Relocation Camp. After World War II ended, Patrick briefly returned home to Red Lake, but then moved with his family to the Twin Cities. He found employment as a commercial artist.This led to commercial work, including his creation of the Land O’ Lakes butter maiden.
Red Lake Fishermen by Patrick DesJarlait
L. J. Vargas (1979- ) Taino-Hispanic
Native Bear Fetish (over head view) created by L. J. Vargas.
L. J. Vargas was born in 1979 and is of Taino Indian and Puerto Rican ancestry. He is a prolific artist and Landscape Designer currently working in Massachusetts. Click here to Visit his Site L J Perspectives.
A fetish is an inanimate object treasured because it is considered to be inhabited by an animal spirit, such as a wolf, badger, bear or eagle. Some fetishes come with strength or health bundles attached. The bundles may include herbs, leaves, arrow heads, rocks, and pieces of turquoise. Traditionally, fetish carvers have been the Zuni people, however, artists from other tribes have also created beautiful fetishes.
Bear Fetish: The Bear represents healing and protection. He is associated with the color blue and he is known for his curative powers. Characteristics associated with the bear are strength, courage, healing, adaptability and spiritual communion.
Nathan Jackson-(1938-) Tlingit Alaskan
Alaskan carved Eagle totem pole, 1982. Artist Nathan Jackson, Alaskan Native.Utah Ed.
Nathan Jackson is of the Chilkoot-Tlingit tribe. He is a visual artist, carver, and jewelry maker.
A totem can be the symbol of a tribe, clan, family or individual. Art is an integral part of the Tlingit social system, which is made up of clans, and many of the design motifs of Tlingit art are generated from clan crests such as the raven, eagle, killer whale and beaver. Others come from traditional stories.
Types of Totem Poles:
Crest Totem Poles: Usually part of a house, they portray a family’s ancestry and the emblems of its clan.
Story-telling Totem Poles: The most common type, these are made for a wedding, to preserve history or to ridicule bad debtors.
Mortuary Totem Poles: These totem poles are made to honor the dead. Cremation ashes are often kept in a compartment in the back. A single figure represents the deceased person or their clan.
Want to find your Totem animal? Visit Here!
Austen Brauker-Ottawa
Stained Glass Eagle by Austen Brauker
“My name is Austen Brauker and I am a member of the Ottawa tribe from Manistee, Michigan. I recently won Best Horror Script at the Love Unlimited International Film Festival, and have received positive script coverage from Coverage Ink and Creative World. I have several scripts already written and several in process, as well as two fiction novels, one of which has been self-published. I also write monthly articles for a local newspaper. Two of my theatrical plays have been produced at a local college, and my screenplay “White Buffalo” has been picked up by a film production company for development(Wild Horse Films).
Madonna and Child 1 by Austen Brauker
Indian Jewelry-Various Artists
American Indians are known world wide for their jewelry making, especially the combination of sterling silver and turquoise. Indian jewelry making can be traced back as far back as the 1800s. In the Southwest, Turquoise is honored among the Indians as being a sacred stone. It is a healing stone, and is known to absorb negativity, transferring it into positive energy. The Navajo especially like to work with this beautiful stone, which has an array of colors from pale blue to various shades of blue and greens. The color depends on the minerals found in the stone. For example, the more iron, the stronger the shade of green. The more copper, the stronger the shade of blue.The Pueblo peoples, like the Zuni Indian artisans, possess a true talent for lapidary work ( an art form that involves a particular process for cutting and polishing stones). American Indians are also noted for their beautiful pottery.
