Tree of the Spirit

I call this the "Tree of the Spirit." On it are the nine fruits of the Spirit, each one shaped very oddly to represent their ethereal origin. They are; love, patience, joy, piece, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It was for my friends wedding that I decided to make this piece, and is therefore one-of-a-kind. I will not make another one for any reason for anyone. It was constructed of brass for the base, roots, trunk, and branches. The vines were made of entwined green wire and the fruit of polymer clay which was hand crafted and hand painted. The fruit was then hung on the trees branches. As for the construction of the tree, it was as follows:


Designed the tree template with tagboard
Assembled model made of cardstock
Made extra templates for rubber cementing to metal sheets
Ordered metal sheets
Cut pieces out of metal
Planned tabs and how to join pieces with metal rather than with paper
Assembled branches
Assembled trunk
Assembled base around trunk
Decided on how to attach branches to trunk
Problem solve weight of tree
Engineered base
Put vines on branches and rest of tree
Made fruit
Baked fruit
Painted fruit
Put fruit on tree
Finished off base so it wouldn't snag on table

Bobcat

As a totem the bobcat encourages us to be more playful and flexible in our lives. As you can see, the Bobcat has much to share with us, but we must be willing to listen to these promptings.The Bobcat sends us a clear indication that in order for us to get what we want, we must be willing to plan, adapt, and above all else, have the patience to see our ideals develop.When dealing with social settings including friends, family, and work, the Bobcat reminds us to be fully aware. We must remember to show our respect, love, and consideration with others. Alone time is time for us to reflect, and regain our energy. The Bobcat intrinsically knows this, and may be trying to tell you to take a break from the public eye.As they themselves are very opportunistic, the Bobcat asks us to reach out for more openings, break out of our agendas & routines. The Bobcat encourages us to dive deep into our hearts and minds and shed light on our potential.Additionally, when the Bobcat appears to us, we need to consider some passions that we have been keeping a secret. Now is the time to unleash our hidden desires - unlock our inner secret wisdom & talents.The Bobcat animal totem is a sign of patience and is also about creation, and developing our abilities into a higher level of value. Additionally, the Bobcat is about the unseen and silent aspects of our inner selves.This deals with our connection with creation. The Bobcat asks us to deeply consider the innermost parts of ourselves that we don't normally recognize. Those with the Bobcat animal totem are usually young with old souls. Often these people are mistaken for having "chips on their shoulders," or thought to be "bearing grudges." This often isn't the case.When identified and sought after for communication, the Bobcat facilitates learning, growth, understanding, and a more playful attitude with these chosen few who retain the Bobcat as their totem.Bobcats are superior hunters, and they incorporate stealth and strategy, wielding a great deal of patience in their hunting excursions. As a solitary creature, we may take its presence as a sign for us to step back from the company of certain people in our daily lives. Or, the Bobcat may be trying to tell us that we need some time to ourselves.

Symbolic traits of the bobcat include Awareness, Strategy, Cunning, Intellect, Patience, and Playfulness. The Bobcat is a very advanced teacher.

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Four the Chippewa

This was the first bracelet that I made using the even peyote stitch technique. It was very frustrating and difficult and was nicknamed "the swear bracelet" due to its complexity. I was surprised that I was able to find a button that matched the colors of the bracelet so well. It was truly a gift from God.

When I did this bracelet, my goal was to incorporate my own heritage into my art for others to enjoy. The theme of this bracelet originated from the four cardinal directions.  The Chippewa Indians believed in representing these directions with different colors; white for North, yellow for East, red for West, and black for South. In the future, it would be nice to recruit some people for the purpose of coming up with more patterns, ones I can't or haven't come up with yet.

We drew names out of a hat for Christmas gifts and I picked my sister's name. So for Christmas, I chose a dark blue tone featured in this piece surrounding snowflakes in the night sky and a light icy blue glow around each individual snowflake.  

It's hard going through holidays without anyone to love and admire, so this was the next best thing. This is a Valentines Day bracelet. I suppose being alone does have its advantages after all. Who would have thought it?

Spring inspired the colors of this bracelet as I thought of the season and other warm tones.  I have come to realize, the beads being strung the way they are, always create a diagonal and geometric pattern.  At this point, I am unsure if there are any other patterns I can come up with using only eight beads across. I may very well have to enlist some help in coming up with more designs for these accessories.  Perhaps all that is left are alternations of bracelets I have already done and totally random patterns. I would need to increase the width of each piece to achieve anything else significantly different than what I have already come up with.

Continuing with my line of peyote stitch beaded jewelry, I came up with this one just when I thought I had come up with my last design.  Apparently, I had not.  This one features blues seen in the other bracelet that I had made for my sister for Christmas, but with a totally different design.

At first, I was not sure when or where I would sell these.  Then the opportunity presented itself, so here I am to inform you they will be available for purchase on Friday, April 17, 2015 at Destinations Coffee House on 1345 New Hampshire Street.  

Crystal Abyss

Color-penciled “Crystal Abyss” blends mostly blues, pinks, and purples to create a drawing full of fantasy and religious symbolism. An ethereal cosmic realm of uncertainty and imagination, this image portrays a strange and somewhat eerie place no human has ever seen. The scaly, fire-breathing monster – which symbolizes evil – is blinded by the luminous glow of the crystalline ice-formation thus making escape to eternal freedom through a distant void nearly impossible. The only other thing preventing escape is the swirling power of the vortex which is trying to pull the beast further into the depths of the netherworld. Neither the brilliance of the crystalline ice-formation nor the power of the vortex, however, is enough to hold him back.

2014 Art Show

In 5th grade I remember doing a scratchboard of a gibbon, thus making me want to recreate it. Gibbon is done with charcoal, and by using a kneaded eraser; I have achieved different values throughout the piece.

At a distance the two drawings – Gibbon and Wolf – look very similar. However, upon closer inspection you will see quite a difference in technique variations, as well as media. I chose to draw Gibbon with charcoal, whereas with Wolf I used ink and pencil to make stippling and hatching marks thus creating a similar value of shading throughout the work.

Wolf and Fox drawings inspired a series of work featuring animals that the Native Americans saw as being symbolic to their way of life. The thing is, after completing my wolf and fox drawings, I was surfing the web and came across some Native American spirit animal websites. This research inspired me to start a line of artwork devoted to the Native American portion of my heritage. Yes, that’s right. I am, in fact, part Native American. I am 1.5625 % or 1/64th Chippewa. My great X 4 grandmother was 100% Native American.

After being bored out of my mind for quite some time, I ordered some materials and began making jewelry. Antique pewter rings embrace three strands of natural leather cord in a rich green hue offering an artisanal look. This trendy bracelet features eighteen silver beads and a hammered grid closure. I personally think the closure looks like a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal square. These bracelets were just a little something I made for the Operation Christmas Child event at my church. I also gave one to a friend as a late birthday/early Christmas present. I think she really liked it. When my aunt saw my Triple Leather Cord bracelets, she suggested I sell them on a website called "Etsy." She would know, too, being a jeweler herself. Then, my grandmother offered to take them to a retail store in central Nebraska the next time she came to Lincoln for a visit. Of course I said “yes.”

Jewel Spectrum is a chunky necklace including many different types of colorful beads. The spectrum of bead colors and transparencies vary from faceted blue and round yellow-orange to simulated red coral and solid olive green. Floral Pendant features a complex system of weavings throughout the makings of a large floral pendant. With a citrine colored center surrounded by transparent green faceted beads, this is a piece fit for only the boldest of bead fanatics. Green & Blue Crystal Beaded Necklace reflects light off of crystal-like beads in a most elegant way. Consisting of blue, green, and a few silver and red beads, this piece is fairly light and measures approximately 20 inches.

Alebrijes (pronounced ah-lay-BREE-hays) are iconic Mexican folk art sculptures of imaginary creatures that have attributes of many different animals. The process of creating the Alebrijes began with my drawing of a fantastical creature which combines elements of a bear, wolf, saber-toothed tiger, and winged-lizard. An armature or structural frame of cardboard, tape, and newspaper was then fashioned into the shape of the body. Next, sheets of plaster gauze, plain brown paper, and newspaper were applied to the frame with a solution made of flour and water. Once sufficiently dried, wondrous extremities were added including horns, fierce teeth, a tail, and an expansive set of wings. The final figure was then painted with intricate patterns of color. My Alebrijes was displayed at the 7th Annual Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead Celebration on November 3, 2013 at the Sheldon Museum of Art.

When creating Ape Man, I was pushed to use acrylic paint in new ways. Instead of starting with a specific idea, I experimented with various combinations of color, lines, shapes, and patterns – much like brainstorming. During this experimentation phase an image or idea emerges and inspires the direction of my work. This has helped me gain insight and react to the work as it is evolving. Being prepared to adjust and work with inspiration as it comes has led me to more complex outcomes. Ape Man was entered in a juried competition and was accepted for display at an exhibition that is currently being held in Louisville, Kentucky.