New Mixed Media Works by Cuban Artist Ariela Boronat

"A great deal of my artwork shows the rich symbolism of my cultural roots and affirms my personal pride and celebration of Latino culture and traditions." -- Ariela Boronat. mixed media artist

One of my favorite "old souls" is Cuban-born Santa Fe resident Ariela Boronat.  She has a one-of-a-kind perspective on the world, a sharp wit, a thoughtful mind, and an eye for combining great colors together.

(Old Havana by Ariela Boronat, Mixed Media Fiber Art, 24" x 18")

You can find Ariela regularly at the Artists' Market at Santa Fe's Railyard on weekends.  Known for her exciting Latin American-inspired linocuts that burst with a rainbow of colors, Boronat has been experimenting with mixed media.  Here are a few of her recent pieces that I thought I'd share with you.  These pieces involve transferring images onto pieces of fabric that have been hand-dyed several times. Find out more about the artist by going to http://www.arielaboronat.com/.  Enjoy!

(Lady in Blue by Ariela Boronat, Mixed Media on Canvas , 24 " X 12")

(Big Tree, Small World by Ariela Boronat, Mixed Media on Canvas/Hand-Made Paper, 16" X 12")

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Veronica Poblano Zuni Artist Keeping to Tradition with Boldness and Contemporary Style

“When you are an artist, you create from your mind…and that’s how we do…everything that I create is one of a kind.”—Zuni artist, Veronica Poblano

To discriminating Native American jewelry collectors, the name Veronica Poblano is synonymous with bold style, impeccable quality and master craftsmanship. The artist, a native of Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, is the daughter of late legendary Zuni fetish carver and jewelry maker Leo Poblano. While Veronica was always privy to her father’s discussions about jewelry-making, she learned basic lapidary work from her mother, and is a self-taught jewelry designer as well as a table sculpture and fetish carver. Veronica is the matriarch of a family in which every member is a star in his or her own right—from son Dylan Poblano, to daughter and son-in-law Jovanna Poblano and Daniel Chattin.

I first met Veronica and her son Dylan at Andrews Pueblo Pottery and Art Gallery back in February. They had just returned from a showing of their work at an event at the Bryant Park Hotel Loft during the prestigious New York Fashion Week. I was impressed at how down-to-earth and open both she and Dylan were. We made plans in advance for me to come by their booth at the 2010 Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market to speak with Veronica about her family’s rich artisan history, her work as a contemporary Native American artist and how she has passed that ability and interest down to her children.

This was, perhaps, one of my favorite interviews that I did at the Heard Museum because Veronica felt comfortable enough to truly speak candidly about her father, her views on art, and her family’s legacy. Whether you are a fan of Zuni jewelry or fetishes, or both, please check out my video interview with Veronica Poblano HERE.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: New Takes on Old Designs with Zuni Fetish Carver and Sculptor Troy Sice

Over the last year, I have spent a great deal of time getting to know the people at Andrews Pueblo Pottery and Art Gallery in Old Town in Albuquerque. Not only have they taught me a lot about Native American pottery, they have instructed me on the basics of many other forms of Native art, including Zuni fetishes.

Whether you refer to Zuni animal and corn maiden figures as “fetishes,” which points to their religious connotation in the Zuni belief system, or you prefer to call them “carvings,” more along the lines of contemporary Native art, what is true is that they are beautiful, full of wonderful energy and are a testament to the skill level of their creators. Some collectors prefer highly detailed and realistic carvings, while others choose their more simplistic counterparts. It is believed that the less a fetish’s natural material has been altered in the creation of it, the more likely it is to hold its power or grow in intensity.

One of the most well-known Zuni fetish carvers these days is Troy Sice. His skill-level in carving elk antler into marvelous works is unparalleled. His style, brings an ancient Zuni tradition forward to the present, and he is making it all his own. Of course, Sice has been influenced by some tremendous carvers in his family, including his grandfather George H. Chee and his half-bother Colvin Peina, as well as his uncles Ramie and Miguel Haloo.  In the 1970s, Ramie and Miguel first created standing bears made of deer antler.  Sice has taken this old design and spruced it up with varied facial expressions, and the addition of inlaid turqoise and coral to depict necklaces.  While Sice is currently learning silversmithing to be able to incorporate his carving work into jewelry, his singing and dancing bear and corn maiden sculptures, as well as his Nativity scenes, have become favorites of collectors around the world…and mine too!

Troy was gracious enough to let me interview him during a quiet moment at his table at the 2010 Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market. Get to know Troy HERE.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Dominique Toya Making Jemez Pueblo Pottery Anything But Ordinary

"Now, I'm to the point where every pot has to be perfect, or else it's not presentable."--Dominique Toya, Jemez Pueblo potter

It’s hard not to like Jemez Pueblo pottery. I have more of it than from any other pueblo in New Mexico, mostly because it finds me, but also because I find they give me a lot of joy, just like all my Jemez "extended family" and friends do. Jemez is home to many potters, who work in a variety of styles, and are constantly creating their own new style. They are masters at finding something that will appeal to the collector. Fortunately for all collectors—from the wealthy seasoned ones, to the budget-conscious novice-- there is a price point for everyone!

Dominique Toya, who has been creating pottery since the age of 5 is a master potter. Her goal is to ensure that her own work gets better every day. Of course it doesn’t hurt that Dominique comes from a family of some of the best pueblo potters, including her mother, Maxine Toya, aunt, Laura Gachupin and grandmother, Marie Romero.

Dominique, who won “Best of Class” for her swirl vase at the 2009 SWAIA Indian Market, is credited with bringing her unique micaceous slip swirl pots to the forefront of the Jemez pottery tradition. Collectors have been taking notice, and prices for these works are steadily rising.  Dominique owes her inspiration to create the swirl pots to veteran Santa Clara potter Nancy Youngblood. Some try to imitate Dominique's pots, but when you have had the opportunity to handle one and see the skill and detail that goes into one, you will immediately be able to identify the real McCoy.

Just prior to the Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market this year, I ran into Dominique at Andrews Pueblo Pottery and Art Gallery, who showed me pictures of the unfinished pot that she and Santa Clara potter Jody Naranjo were collaborating on for the show’s judging. Initially, the vessel, which is a very large swirl vase, was going to contain circles on all sides featuring the faces of famous potters. I was told by both artists that the Jemez clay was too soft for the faces to be effectively carved into the pot, which the two later titled “Double Insanity.” The two are hoping to collaborate on another similar idea utilizing Santa Clara clay, which will give the sgraffito work more clarity.

In the meantime, “Double Insanity” made its way to the judging table at the Heard. And while it didn’t win an award, it is quite interesting, and most importantly, represents the first collaboration of Toya and Naranjo, who have been friends for many years.  They are currently in talks about working on a couple of projects together.

I had the chance to speak with Dominique on camera about the joint work at the 2010 Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market. Check out what she had to say HERE.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Getting the Inside Scoop on Seriagraph-Making with Coast Salish Artist Peter Boome

I have been an artist since I could pick up a Crayon and draw on the wall…I can’t remember ever not creating.”— Peter Boome, Coast Salish artist

Get me near Northwest Coast First Peoples’ art and I immediately become excited. Forget that I’m from the Northwest and forget that it was the first type of indigenous art that made me realize there was art outside of the performing world. First, it was the masks that attracted me, then it was sculpture, and then I became interested in handmade Northwest Coast jewelry.  In the last couple of years, I have been enjoying seriagraphs, which are hand-done screen prints. While the drama and the detailed work of the Northwest Coast tribal mask appealed to my senses, these beautiful hand-printed pieces are equally labor-intensive to create and dramatic.

Upon arriving in the Southwest, in an effort to learn more about my environs, I refocused my eye more on art of the pueblos in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe region. Having lived in New York between stints in the Pacific Northwest and now New Mexico, it never occurred to me that these two distinct art worlds would be so interconnected. It has been wonderful to go to SWAIA Indian Market and the Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market and feel like I’m home by meeting Northwest Coast and Alaskan artists.

Peter Boome, currently a resident of University Place, Washington, is a member of the Upper Skagit Tribe and works in the Coast Salish style. Now a law student and a father of four, Boome focuses most of his time these days on his seriagraphs rather than on carving. There are many Northwest Coast artists working with seriagraphs, but, in my opinion, Boome creates some of the most beautiful Northwest Coast images I have ever seen.

With the rising costs involved with making and selling original art, Boome and his wife Lois formed their company (Araquin, also the name of their son) with the idea of creating high-quality art in larger numbers that people could actually afford.

Boome uses a hand-drawn stencil and then layers colors to create the desired effect for his seriagraphs. The artist stays true to his culture by depicting only images derived from his region, but if he hears a particular story that appeals to him, he is likely to tell it in his own way through art.

Peter Boome was kind enough to let me shoot some images and talk briefly to me about his work at the 2010 Heard Museum Guild’s Indian Fair and Market. Watch the video HERE.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: Darryl Growing Thunder & Chris Pappan--Two Perspectives on Ledger Art

With my arrival to New Mexico came my awareness of Native American ledger art.  I have to admit that as a fan of jewelry and pottery, my eyes had not quite been opened to really "seeing" ledger art.  To me, it seemed nothing more than color pencil drawings on lined paper--the kind I remembered from my time working as an office temp in "the old days." 

A trip to Santa Fe last November changed all that.  The same day I covered the opening of Zuni visual artist Silvester Hustito's new gallery Fire God on Santa Fe's historic plaza, was the same day that I visited a well known gallery on Canyon Road that was home to a variety of ledger art pieces.  As a newbie to Native American art collecting, that trip made all the difference in the world in terms of educating my art palette and helping me to appreciate ledger art in a new way.  Lucky for me the gallery director was kind enough to explain to me that ledger art, in spite of its contemporary look, actually goes back to the beginning of the 20th Century.  To be honest, I couldn't tell the difference between the early pieces and the newer ones.

The director and I also talked about the fact that she prefers when today's ledger artists depict modern themes--the ones who opt to portray Indians on bicycles and cars instead of chiefs hunting buffalo and more traditional images.  One of her favorite things to do, she said, is to tease artists by asking them "When did you last hunt a buffalo?"  Pretty hilarious!

That said, there are many traditionalists out there and they stand firm to keeping history alive.  I like both the traditional and the contemporary.  They both provide glimpses into the Native American experience--the emotions, and that sharp, dry Native American wit--and they honor their people as they were and how they have become.

The Fire God opening was the first time I had seen contemporary ledger art by Chicago-resident Chris Pappan.  I was absolutely blown away by his talent and perspective.  Pappan takes the stance that he is ushering ledger art into a new era.  What is fascinating is that Pappan stumbled upon the idea of creating ledger art because he found ledger pads in an office supply closet.

Darryl Growing Thunder, who hails from the Fort Peck Assiniboine/Sioux reservation in Montana, has a different perspective on Native American ledger art.  The son of  bead artist Joyce Growing Thunder and Jim Fogarty, a painter known for his Western and American Indian-themed works, Darryl developed more of an appreciation for traditional images. You can see this in his pieces, and Growing Thunder makes no apologies for it.  While he appreciates all styles of ledger art, his work is very "old school", and he stands firm in his commitment to keep people aware of the legacy of ledger art.   I first experienced his work on a visit to one of my favorite galleries in Albuquerque, Wright's Indian Art. He has a wonderful eye for color, and his impeccable attention to detail shows his loyalty to traditional style.

So what was Uncle Paulie supposed to do when both artists were in attendance at the 2010 Heard Museum Guild's Indian Fair and Market?  Interview them, of course!  They both contributed vital and distinct information on the history of ledger art in their interviews.  As I was talking to both of them, I realized how marvelous it would be to "pit them" against each other, so to speak, to create one comprehensive video testament to how varied ledger art can be.  I hope you find THIS VIDEO as informative as I did.

Heard @ The Heard 2010: 'Golden Child' Taos Jewelry Artisan Maria Samora

"My designs appeal to the senses and come to life on the body." --Maria Samora, Taos jewelry designer

Before Maria Samora took the Native American jewelry world by storm, she was preoccupied that her pieces were not Native enough, at least not in the traditional sense.  Lucky for her, they weren't because her own sense of style and design is what has made this thirty-four year-old  the success that she is.  Her designs have been called new and refreshing, and it's no surprise since Samora herself exudes something all her own--a humble star quality--which is why people are drawn to her and her work. 

A SWAIA Indian Market veteran, showing since 2005, Samora was blessed in 2009 by having her jewelry selected to be featured on the Indian Market poster.   In all of Indian Market's eighty-eight years, she was the third woman and the first jewelry designer to be graced with the honor.  It has also made her 18k gold seashell-inspired jewelry more than iconic and highly sought out by Native American jewelry collectors and fashionistas alike. 

The daughter of an Anglo hippie mother and a father from Taos Pueblo (he was one of the tribe's spiritual leaders) Samora grew up with a perspective that was varied.  She also grew up with a huge appreciation for the natural world around her, which is highly reflected in the works that she creates. 

Samora has worked closely with her mentor G. Phil Poirier, since her college days.  She met him when she enrolled in one of his workshops at the Taos Institute of Arts.  Ten years later, Samora and Poirier still share a studio.

The artist is a very good friend of two of my dear friends--one from Santa Fe and the other from Jemez.  Both insisted that I stop by Maria's booth to check out her work and interview her for Uncle Paulie's World. Of course I did and HERE's the result.

Maria's warm and welcoming energy made it easy to talk to her and understand just how much this exquisite artisan loves what she does.  We do, too!  Thanks for sharing, Maria.