Tuesday, May 31, 2016

How We Become

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

This is how we become The Other.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Indigenous Arts: Black Spirits of Earth and Sky and Grounding In the Storm

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the last entry for May in our series on Indigenous Arts. Today, we wrap up the month's color schemes and themes with a look at the symbolic and substantive role of black in our worldviews and aesthetics.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. All of the photos and most of the other art remain available for purchase, but if one of the sold items speaks to you, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, May 30, 2016

What You Leave

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
Hope. And work.

It’s all there is.

It’s what you leave.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Monday Photo Meditation: Black Shadows and Strong Hearts

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for this day the rest of the country calls Memorial Day. Today's post honors the strong heart of a friend and fellow artist, a Native vet whose work we've long carried, and who we just learned walked on a few weeks ago after a long and continuous battle with the long black shadows cast by the war in VietNam. 

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, yes, the photo is available for purchase, and sales are of course always needed, but the purpose of today's post is to remember and honor our friend Wilson to the rest of the world.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Fledgling

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
I was less than a fledgling . . . and now I have to learn to fly all over again.

Maybe we can teach each other.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

In the White Light of Peace

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work that was planned for today for reasons outside of the symbolism attendant on this long weekend. Nevertheless, it fits exceptionally well — and serves as a reminder to us that the duty of the starting point for peace always rests with those with power.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site inks are much appreciated.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Blackbird Blues

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

The blackbird welcomes me, and the only blues are the afternoon sky.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Promise of Summer

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's butterflies and stardust and brilliant white light. Together, they hold the promise of summer, an early monsoon season notwithstanding.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Monsoon

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
You teach yourself to float, and hope that it's enough.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: Realizing Life's Possibility

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's our final Friday Feature for the month of May, a month in which we have explored the small paintings of other Native artists within the context of the month's larger themes of color. This week, it's a small painted woodcut in the form of Crow Mother, a traditional Hopi katsina who is the mother of the spirits.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Carriers

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

They are conduits and carriers of memory, raptors who soar the currents of time itself. Through their feathered fingertips I touch the past: my past; our past.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#TBT: Twilight and Moonglow

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, it's a trip back in time three years . . . and also a scant two days. Today's featured work was a commission by a dear friend, a piece intended to reflect symbolism very personal to her, captured in silver and stone, in the guiding celestial spirits of twilight and moonglow.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work is, of course, one of a kind, but if a piece of similarly individual spirit and power speaks to you, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; he can create something uniquely your own. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Roots

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
They are shallow, and fragile, made of dust and hope and memory and love, and they have to be enough.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Silvery White Light of Sacred Space

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work that is perhaps not perfectly in keeping with the week's color scheme, yet one that hints at the silvery white light of sacred space. It's a work perfect for this day in this place, where a light veil of smoke has turned the sun's white glow into softly shimmering silver.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Rites of Sunset

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
Here, there are new rituals to close the day, new bird songs to sing me to sleep. The old ways have not loosed their grip overmuch.

Like the starlings, we still perform our rites of sunset in the warm golden glow of the fading light.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Indigenous Arts: In the White Light of the World

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's this week's entry in our series on Indigenous Arts. Today, we continue with the month's theme with a look at shades of white in Native arts, a color of substance and symbol, of prophecy and illumination.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. The photos featured in today's post remain available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; the other works are a mix of sold items and works still in inventory. If any of them speaks to your spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; he can always a version uniquely your own. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Tracks

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Some tracks can be scuffed out.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday Photo Meditation: The Arc of Infinity

Photo copyright Wings, 2016;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a brilliant Monday morning, one that returns to that which is essential and elemental. It's a reminder to look beyond brightly colored distractions, to see that which they conceal and what beneath them may be revealed.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, the photo is available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. Also as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Silhouette

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

There are other lives.

They live on . . . in silhouette.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A Spirit to Carry Into the Warmer Winds of Summer

Photo copyright Aji, 2016;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a spirit to carry with us into the warmer winds of summer, the golden yellow shimmer of this land's mysterious and magical light. It's a glow that enfolds and embraces all of the elements into a single universal bundle.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Waves

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
It’s not the old pond. But it’s our pond.
 
And I can stand and face the waves that ride its surface and feel those in my mind begin to ebb . . . and the world is as it should be.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Ribbons of Light

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.
Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a pair of instant companion pieces to Wings's all-new work from Wednesday. These are perhaps his simplest, sparest pieces ever, and the most modestly priced of his entire inventory; they also hold the power of Father Sun.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Friday, May 20, 2016

Fierce

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
It’s kind of scary out here.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: A Bright Animating Spirit of the Land

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, it's a modestly priced work that captures an image of traditional life. It's a small painting that only hints at the week's yellow color theme on the surface, but in fact, like the light itself, it's an animating force.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Reflection

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
Memory is a reflection, a picture no longer pure; a sensation, piercing and weightless; a spirit in the spaces between.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#ThrowbackThursday: A Piece of the Sunrise

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, it's a piece of the sunrise, ascending over a world bounded by the sacred directions. This one is from ten years ago, a piece that served informally as a model for a more proportional work that Wings made for me.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This cuff sold long ago, of course, but if, as was the case with me a decade ago, it speaks to your spirit, Wings can make a version uniquely your own; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Marks and Markers

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Seven years.

And one year.

The former is a marker of how long the little man above has been gone. Animikiins: Little Thunder Being, also known as Little Dude, Little Man, Big Man, and Little Big Man, that last being every kind of inside joke it sounds like. He was with us only parts of six days before we could get him to the vet, who insisted there was no hope. He looked up at me, then deliberately curled into my arms on the table and went to sleep even before the needle entered the room. The most pure kind of trust I've ever seen has come from my dogs.

It took weeks for Griffin to forgive me. I assume that Animikiins has been showing him the ropes of his new world.

The latter is a different sort of marker, one that has recorded — and inflicted — a great many more marks. I suppose it was fitting, in its own way, that the two should fall on the same date, a date that, as Tumblr has helpfully reminded me, marks the "first birthday," as they put it, of The Interstices. The place where I write my fiction that really mostly isn't fiction at all.

The place where my words go to die.

I don't talk about most of it directly. But it's all there for anyone who bothers to read; it's not that tough to put it all together. Not the details, a lot of them; they're too much even for me. But anyone who wanted the big picture — or even a snapshot of a given day — could find it easily enough. 

I get it.

A year. And seven years.

The marks aren't just pixels on a screen. They're carved into my flesh and bone, my heart and spirit. Wounds that don't heal, don't really even scar.

Sometimes the pain gets to be a bit much.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Ripple

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Memory exists in the ripples.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A Dance of Sun and Flowers

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's Wings's newest work, completed only today. It's a pair of earrings to brighten a gray day like this one, a warm and fiery dance of sun and flowers with an unusual stone at the center.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Bridge

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
All you need is a moment.

Just enough to cross the bridge.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Indigenous Arts: The Golden Light of a Yellow Sun

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the next entry in our exploration of color in this month's series on Indigenous Arts, wrapping up the primary colors with a look at the shade of a yellow sun. We end up with Father Sun's own light, but we begin with some non-Native associations as a framework for highlighting the differences between dominant-culture and indigenous approaches to symbolism.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. All of Wings's photos in the post may be purchased in the usual format options, and most of the silverwork and the works by other artists also remain available for sale; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. As always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Moiré Blue

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Memory will drown you if you let her, but being able to choose your own course to get there is a gift.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Monday Photo Meditation: Ceremony, and the Sustaining Light of a Warm Yellow Sun

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for an unsettled and unsettling Monday. We are in the path of a projected series of storms birthed yesterday and expected to last five days, and this change to our customary patterns leaves us looking for the shelter of both tradition and the light.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. The photo is available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Storm Rising

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

There’s lightning outside.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


The Future Is the Firebird

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the standard-bearer of one of Wings's newer collections — and a standard-bearer for our own task of a life well-lived. It's a work that embodies salvation in a wholly indigenous understanding of the word, one that encompasses the burden of our own obligations and the infinite hope of reward in the form of a better world for our grandchildren's grandchildren.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Surrender

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Earth, Air, Fire, Water. They all converge where direction disintegrates, disappears.

Memory is gone, banished; all that awaits are red wine and darkness, and surrender.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Becoming a Firebird

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work that holds the fiery spirit of some of our fellow residents at this season. It's a wild bird for whom my affinity stretches back to childhood, one who gives us the gift of hearing its song this time of year.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Wingspread

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's not always about escape. Sometimes, you just need to know that you can still spread your wings.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Friday Feature: Seven Horses, and the Red Spokes of the World

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, it's a small work that's big in spirit: It tells a wholly indigenous story of love and marriage and politics and horses, all beneath the border of a red world. It's one of my favorite works by this artist, and one that is very modestly priced, too.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Warble

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

My voice warbles.

One day, it will be fearless.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#TBT: Flashes of Red

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, we go back a half-dozen years or so to a pendant that summoned one of the soft spirits of spring. It's a work that radiated hints of green and flashes of red, a spirit of joy after a long protracted winter.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This work sold years ago, but Wings has made several butterflies over the years, and can make a version uniquely your own; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.



All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Death-Eaters

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

They are death-eaters, in purest, most innocent form.

They are gone, the day nearly so . . . and the night feels clean and light.




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

After the Rain, Red Flowers

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, today's featured work is one of Wings's finest in our current inventory. It's big and bold, and yet there's a soft earthy feel to it, as well, like the bright red flowers now opening here after last night's rains.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Frames

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Grass. Greener. Other side.

Sometimes it’s less a fence than a frame, a picture of what could have been, or of what cannot be.

I have green grass, on both sides of the fence. 




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.


Indigenous Arts: Red Like Us

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's this week's entry in our series on Indigenous Arts. This time around, we continue our study of color, all in shades of red

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. The photos in the post remain available for purchase in any of the usual three formats, and while most of the silverwork pictured has sold, Wings can always make a version uniquely your own; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Nothin' But Another Trick

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
Nothing in this world is free. It ain’t even a bargain. 




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday Photo Meditation: The Warmth Within Our Spirits

Photo copyright Wings, 2016;
all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for this gray and gloomy Monday, one when the wind carries a sharp and icy edge. It's a small spirit of the past, a bright red Fire Pony who by now has grown into a warrior, but who, like our peoples, still carries the warmth within his spirit.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. As always, the photo (like several other in the series centered around this powerful little being) is available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.