Sunday, July 31, 2016

The Confidence to Fall

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

He needed no other movement, no momentum — only the confidence to fall onto thin air, knowing he would soar.

I wanted that feeling.



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.

Only $350 needed to this weekend's mini-goal!


Thanks to a couple of very dear friends, we are over half-way to this weekend's mini-goal: $800 to reach 15% raised against our overall goal for Stage III. We only need to raise another $350 to make it to that marker. Think we can do it by tomorrow morning?

I hope so, because my goal for the coming week is to get us, by next Saturday, to the 20% of the overall goal for this stage. That means raising an additional $1,000, which would bring us up to $4,000 total raised so far for Stage III. And we're going to need it.

First thing tomorrow, the fill arrives. Our crew chief will probably rent the Bobcat and bring it with him; the guy who rents out the tamper also provides the operator. Tuesday, the cement truck shows up again with the pump; meanwhile, the guys will have rented a bull float. In this heat, a monopour has to be done fast and with a great deal of skill, and they'll need all the technical help they can get. They'll be hard at it to keep it from setting to fast while the heat rules, and also to beat the rain that's pretty much a guarantee for mid-afternoon.

I'll have photos from both days, but when the images will really start to get interesting is Wednesday or Thursday, with the arrival of the adobes. In the meantime, we have to raise enough to be able to reserve windows, and that's likely going to set us back a couple grand right there. It's going to be another hugely expensive week, and I can already feel the migraine building as I'm trying to juggle these costs.

I feel the need to emphasize again that each fundraising stage does not raise anywhere near enough to cover all costs. We're paying huge chunks out of sales and what we've been able to put aside over the past several months toward this process. But that's nowhere near enough, hence the fundraisers. It's easier all the way around if we break it down into stages, and even stages within stages, which is why I'm focusing on these mini-goals each work. The totals are so far out of range as to make it impossible for me to get my head around the how of it, and so this is the only way for me to keep chipping away at the project and the costs and still hang onto what remains of my sanity.

So please keep sharing the link to our YouCaring page. Please go directly to it and share from the widgets on the page itself. Please also keep copying the code from the purple widget box at the lower right-hand corner of the page, and pasting it anywhere you can think of to post it. Finally, please continue to share the links to Wings's site. Selling a couple of his collections in miniature, his mixed-media work, his concha belt? Any one of those would get us well into next week, get the walls going up and the windows set aside.

Thanks to everyone who's helped us get this far. This week is going to one that stretches us to the limit in terms of time and financial resources both. I've got a lot of follow-up to do, a lot of projections to lay out for the next couple of weeks, and a lot of thank-yous to write. And if we can just raise another $350 tonight, we'll have made the weekend's mini-goal, and I might just get a little sleep tonight. 



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.

To Turn Our World Into Sacred Space

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work suited to this last day of July, as the world here prepares to enter a season given over to pilgrimage and sacred space. It's a work that embodies the path, and the elemental forces that can transform our own world into a small sacred space of its own.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed (especially now), 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.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Here to Stay

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
He is here now.

I think he is here to stay




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.

Weekend goal: Raising $800 by Monday morning.


We have a smaller goal for this weekend: We're trying to raise $800. For this stage of our fundraising effort to build a house, that will bring us to 15% of the current goal. It's not a lot, but it will make a very real difference in our ability to rent the necessary equipment and pay for the labor to finish off the foundation this week.

Please continue to share the link to our YouCaring page via the widgets provided on it, and by posting the widget code found on the lower right-hand side of the page. Please also continue to share the link to Wings's Web site. One big sale (or several smaller ones) would ensure that the foundation is complete and the walls already going up by the end of next week.

Thank you to everyone who's helped us thus far, whether with donations, shares, or moral support. I'm off to my task list of a thousand and one things, but I'll check in later, and I'm hoping for enough of a storm today to give me enough of a break from the heavy labor to spend time on formal thank-yous.



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.

Summer's Most Elemental Spirits

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a work in the form of the coiled power of the summer storm. Like our current weather, it's a piece that embodies the fierce spiraling joy of the dance of summer's most elemental 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 (especially now), 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, July 29, 2016

Fill, Slab, Walls, Windows. Hoping to hit 15% of goal by Monday.


Dear god, these days are gonna kill me.

Met with our crew boss again this morning to outline the next week. The next hellishly expensive week.

Monday, the final load of base course gets delivered. We also have to rent the Bobcat and the tamper again. Tuesday, they're hoping to pour the slab. That involves renting a bull float and the cement pump again. In this heat, you can't really do it any other way without risking it drying too fast. I'm watching the dollar signs rack up and cringing, and that's before next week's labor costs.

This weekend, we have to go window shopping. Literally. We need to figure out exactly what size windows we need for each area (and exterior doors) — and, of course, what they will cost — because the adobes are being delivered either Wednesday or Thursday, and once those walls go up, the window sizes have to be set in stone. Well, okay, in adobe, but still. Then there are the beams. And did I mention the labor? There's the labor. I am truly terrified at the prospect of the coming week's price tag.

So y'all know what to do. Here's the link to our YouCaring page for this stage of the project. Please share it via the widgets on the page, and please also post the code from the purple widget box in the lower right-hand corner. If we could raise another $800 by Monday, that would put us at 15% of goal. Please also spread the link to Wings's site around liberally. If we could make a couple of large sales (or several small ones) without fail each week, we'd be covered. Sadly, the tourist trade here is nothing compared to what it was before the crash that took our house in the first place.

Thanks to everyone who's helped us thus far. I have been running, flat out, all day, and tomorrow looks to be more of the same, but I at least got a bunch of orders shipped, tornado notwithstanding. With any luck at all, maybe I can get to more formal thank-yous before the weekend is 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.

Red Birds

Photo copyright Aji, 2016;
all rights reserved.

Their spirit wings wear harvest cloaks, but they paint themselves in the red that links them to us.

Like them, we are red birds, too.




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: To Weather the Storm

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a Friday Feature that highlights the work of one of the Pueblo's young artists. It's also a work that turns out to be especially well suited both to the week's theme and to the feel and fact of this day.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed (are they ever right now), and 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, July 28, 2016

Wings Up

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
This tiny bird, the one with the cobalt robes and anxious cries, with spirit wings ready to fly, is blue and fierce in archetypal form.

Head forward. Brow set. Legs taut.





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.

Only $849 needed to hit the 15% mark for Stage III!


Our week of hiatus is almost over, and we've been so busy catching up, plus dealing with the endless stream of issues related to building the house, that I don't feel as though I've gotten anything more accomplished. We meet with our builder tomorrow to lay out the work for next week, since there are some changes, chief among them the electrical work. What this means is that, in addition to the extra load of base course and the grading and tamping, they'll need to lay some of the wiring before the slab is poured.

With every word, I'm watching dollars going out the door.

There have been some good developments: Our flash sale over the weekend produced a good selection of orders, and we've received a few orders even since. We're also past the 10% mark of our fundraiser for Stage III of the building process. But, as I said, dollars keep marching out the door. I'd really like to raise enough through the YouCaring page to hit the 15% mark by next Monday, when work resumes. That would put us up to $3,000. All we need to do is raise another $849. Of course, ideally, I'd prefer to hit the 20% marker, which would mean raising $1,849. If we could hit 20% sometimes next week, I'd be thrilled.

So please continue to share the links to our YouCaring page via the widgets provided on it. Please also continue to post the widget code from the purple box at the page's lower right. And please spread the link to Wings's Web site around liberally; if you own some of his work and post a testimonial along with the link, that helps tremendously. If we could sustain the pace of sales that we've had over the last week, we'd have a huge chunk of the work on the house covered. 

Thanks again to everyone. I'm way behind, pulled in all directions as I am again today, which is why I'm so late getting this posted. Maybe tomorrow . . . . 




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: Water. As Life.

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, with a trip back to the summer of six years ago, and a work that embodied its spirits of sky and storm and light. In a place where water is life, it's water as life, in an iconic Native design that invokes the power of protection.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. This pair sold long ago, and the stones are, of course, unique, but if the style speaks to your own spirit, simply inquire via the site's Contact form; Wings can create a version uniquely your own. And, as always, sales are much needed (and never more so), 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, July 27, 2016

Work Resumes Monday — Please Share


So much to do. So far behind.

We have not really had a moment's rest this week, despite putting the crew on hiatus until Monday. I don't expect that to change between now and then, either. This business of trying to build a house is a full-time job, wholly apart from the multiple other "full-time jobs" we both maintain to keep Wings's work and this place going. I was awake at 4:30 this morning, unable to sleep . . . and without coffee, since the coffeemaker died last night (yes, we replaced it today; I'm still dragging).

One of my s-i-l's horses, four of whom we're hosting in the next field, is pregnant. That will entail quite a bit more in the months to come. Then there is Spice the miracle chicken, who has to be kept segregated now from the rest of the flock (they have turned on her), and whose apartment (otherwise known as a dane crate) was flattened the other day by 50 bales of hay tumbling down on top of it. A minute later, and I would've been under it, too. She somehow escaped through the smashed crate completely unscathed.

And we're still juggling everything for Monday, when work resumes on the house. Another load of fill, the grader and tamper, the electrical wiring laid in, and the slab poured. Then the adobes, framing and beams, and windows. Oh, and labor [slightly hysterical laughter]. No, I have no idea how we'll pay for it all. All I can do is take each item, each job, each day as it comes, and work my ass off and hope for the best. Even after a pair of nasty falls last week (autoimmune-related), work resumes on Monday regardless, and my own work increases with it.

Part of that work means swallowing my pride daily and asking people to share the link to our YouCaring page. Please go to the page itself, share via the widgets there, and post the widget code from the box in the lower right-hand corner. Please share the link to Wings's site, too: sales of just a few of his masterworks, the concha belt, a few of the big necklaces, and we'd be covered for the walls and windows. 

Thanks to everyone who's given us a hand to this point. I'm hoping to get several orders shipped tomorrow (I haven't even been able to get away from this place for days now), and get to some thank-yous, as well. And maybe some gardening? Nah, probably not. 



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.

Death Eaters and Daddy Lessons

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

I have learned my daddy lessons better than he ever taught, and I will gladly give them over to the death eaters.



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.

From the Four Corners of the Sky

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's Wings's newest work, completed only this afternoon. It's the chance to wear raw elemental power in the form of the storm-webbed sky, calling the rains from its four corners.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed (especially now), 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, July 26, 2016

All Of These

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Is he all of these, and are they he?

I suspect so.



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: Where the Thunder Dwells

Photo copyrightWings, 2016; all rights reserved.
Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the last entry for July in our series on Indigenous Arts. This week, we look at a popular symbol in the Native art of the region, one that happens to be one of Wings's own favorites: a symbol of the place where the thunder dwells.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. I'm too exhausted to deal with links tonight (it's been . . . a day), but the works pictured are fairly evenly split between sold items and those still available (and all of the photographs are available in at least one format); simply inquire via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed (especially now, so shares of the site links are much appreciated.


P.S. Tomorrow, I'll be featuring Wings's latest work, fabulously simple and simply fabulous. Look for it around midday. 



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.

We've hit 10% on Stage III. Can you help us get up to 20%?


Today is going to be a hugely busy day for me (nothing out of the ordinary; just a ton of tasks that have to get done right now), and I'll be out most of the day. To that end, I'm throwing up today's fundraising post early. I have no idea when I'll get a chance to put up the post for Wings's site; better to expect it to be very late. I'm moving slower right now, too, given the pain and fatigue I'm currently battling.

In a couple of days, we'll be getting what I hope will be the last load of fill delivered before the slab gets poured. We have delayed delivery on the pallets of adobes, because of this time we're taking to regroup, and so I don't know whether they'll arrive at the end of this week or beginning of next week. We have had to make some changes to the what and the whom on various aspects of the project, because some of it has proven to be simply unaffordable. [Truth be told, we've already whacked a lot from the plans due to cost, and there will be more of that to come. It would be nice to be able to adhere to them, but for folks like us, that's just not possible.]

At any rate, given the cost of the stripped-down version, we're still going to have to crowdfund across the board to supplement sales. wE're now at Stage III, which will involve finalizing the foundation, getting the walls up and the frame beams installed, and dealing with the wiring and the next stage of the plumbing. We're going to need to raise a lot for all of this.

So please, continue to share the link to our YouCaring page for Stage III, by going to the page itself and using the widgets provided. Please also scroll down to the lower right-hand corner of the page, grab the widget code from the purple box, and spread it around. Please also share the link to Wings's site (and if you can offer a testimonial about his work and our inventory when you do, please do that as well). We're already at 10% for this stage; for this week, I'd like to get us up to 20%.

Thanks to everyone for your help thus far. I'm hoping to have a little more time tomorrow (not exactly free time, but maybe the ability to juggle tasks a little more flexibly), including some time to devote to thank-yous. I'll also have a brand new work by Wings to feature at his site; he's finishing it up today. And with that, I'm in and out, but mostly out, for the next several hours, at least.



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, July 25, 2016

Purpose

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.


She knows who she is, and why she is here, and where she is bound, even if her destination is only to the next fencepost.

From that flows purpose, like the elegant drape of her spirit wings.

I understand. Sometimes my destination is only to the next fencepost, too. But it is mine.


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.

Daily Share Request: Stage III Beginning


The rain hit a few moments ago. It's a fairly heavy storm, and the crew wouldn't be able to work right now even if they were here.

We've taken a hiatus of at least three days: in part to raise as much as possible for this next stage; in part to get caught up on too many tasks that have had to be left undone while the work's been going on; in part to give our bodies and spirits a break.

And in part to let me heal after my second bad fall in a week and a half. Yes, I know that I'm not as young as I used to be, but to fall, twice, while I'm deliberately being careful is clearly not something I can prevent. And coping with the . . . um . . . fallout has left me absolutely beat.

Still, there's a lot going on here. We're irrigating (which, as a practical matter, means that Wings is irrigating), and it's an enormous amount of physical labor. Two of the crew just brought over some huge and beautiful cedar posts, already fully dry, for use as beams. And Wings is working in the studio later on, while I try to drum up sales.

So we still need shares of the link to our YouCaring page. Between purchases from our flash sale over the weekend and donations through the link, we did pretty well over the weekend, but it's just scratching the surface. This week alone, we have to pay for another load of base course, one of crusher fine, eighteen pallets of adobes plus delivery, and the labor. It'll be a lot.

So please go to the page and share via the widgets there. Please grab the widget code from the purple box at the lower right-hand corner of the page, and spread it around, too. Please also share the link to Wings's site; testimonials help, too. And many, many thanks to everyone who has given us a hand. I have a huge list of thank-yous to write, and while tomorrow already promises to be a mess, I'm shooting for Wednesday for some time to take care of those.



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 Photo Meditation: What Brings the Rain

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation for a monsoon season whose return is overdue. It's a tribute to the role of the thunderheads, and the role of faith and flexibility when awaiting what they bring.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. The photo is available for purchase in any of the usual three formats; simply inquires via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed (especially now), 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, July 24, 2016

The Edge of Memory

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Perhaps she is not a spirit of mourning, but of healing, one who takes the mind’s eye’s images of loss and carries them with her as she flies, bearing them on soft silent spirit wings to the edge of memory.



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.

Final Day of Our Flash Sale at NDN Silver!

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
It's the last day of our sale at NDN Silver to hep supplement our home-building fund. It's also your last chance to get Wings's work at a price that's unlikely ever to be repeated: 20% off on all of his silverwork and photography. 

Specifics of the sale are as follows:

  • Sale ends at midnight MDT tonight.
  • 20% off all of Wings's work, silverwork and photography both.
  • 30% off all work by other Native artists.
  • As always, buyer pays shipping, handling, and insurance.
  • We cannot offer layaway or installment payments for this sale; no exceptions.
  • Sale applies only to current inventory; commissioned works are ineligible.
  • We accept personal checks/money orders, VISA and M/C, and PayPal (PayPal is preferred over credit/debit cards); use the Contact form for details.

At 20% off on Wings's work, you can get a masterpiece like the one pictured above, which retails for $2,800, for $2,240 (+s/h/i).

We've also put the rest of our inventory on sale at an even bigger discount: 30% off on all work by other Native artists.
Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.
That means that you can get an outstanding piece like the corn pot above, by a master Taos Pueblo potter, at a great price: It retails for $450, but until midnight MDT, it's marked down to $315 (+s/h/i).

If you're not in the market for authentic Native art by some of the area's master artisans, but you still want to help us in our effort to have a real home for the first time in nearly six years, you can also donate either through our YouCaring page, or via PayPal. We'd like to ask everyone to share the links to our YouCaring page, too: Simply go to the page itself and use the widgets on it to share; also grab the widget code from the purple box in the lower right-hand corner of the page, and post it to get this image:


Thank you to everyone who has given us a hand thus far. We hope you'll help us with this final push this weekend, so that we can keep our crew employed and keep this third stage of our house-building effort going in a timely fashion.



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.

Lodestars

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the stars that light the indigo hours, those threshold moments just after dusk and just before the dawn. It's a pair of works that give the wearer a bit of the talismanic force and the protection of the light of the stars.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. As always, sales are much needed (especially now), and 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.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Ruffled

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

Why she chose this day to return, entirely out of season, I have no idea.

But if experience is any guide, it is a sign, and a good one. Even at her most ruffled, she is still one of our most powerful spirits. She wanted my attention this morning.

She’s got it now.



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.

NDN Silver Flash Sale, Day 2

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
It's Day 2 of our flash sale at NDN Silver, and today and tomorrow only, you can score unprecedented deals on Wings's work (and that of other Native artists), and help us in our effort to build a home at long last. Here are the details:

  • Today and tomorrow only; sale ends at midnight MDT tomorrow.
  • 20% off all of Wings's work, silverwork and photography both.
  • 30% off all work by other Native artists.
  • As always, buyer pays shipping, handling, and insurance.
  • We cannot offer layaway or installment payments for this sale; no exceptions.
  • Sale applies only to current inventory; commissioned works are ineligible.
  • We accept personal checks/money orders, VISA and M/C, and PayPal (PayPal is preferred over credit/debit cards); use the Contact form for details.

Wings never puts his own work on sale, so if you've had your eye on something of his for a while, this is a golden opportunity to get it at a price that won't be repeated. It means that works like Kachina, above, that retail for $2,200, will go for $1,760 (+ s/h/i).

And it means that you can get in on the ground floor with both our emerging young Native artists and established master, at a rate of 30% off: 

Photo copyright Aji, 2016;a ll rights reserved.
Works like Camille's fabulous Mountain Lion Bowl, above, will be reduced from $375 to $262.50 + s/h/i (which is a steal for her work).

Of course, if you're not in the market for beautifully authentic Native art, but you still want to help with our fundraising effort to build a house after nearly six full years without a real one, you can do that by donating and sharing the links here:


If you scroll down to the lower right-hand corner of the page, you can grab the widget from the purple box, which will give you that image above. If you share the link directly from the widgets, it helps more than just sharing the link to this post or Facebook/Twitter shares.

Thanks to everyone for your help thus far. Our goal is to raise an additional $5,000 over the course of the weekend, through sales, donations, etc. Please help us reach our goal by sharing the links and spreading the word.





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.

Light at the Center

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a small but powerful recent work that captures the power of daybreak. It's a piece that embodies the light at the center, held in place by the spirits of the skies.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Today and tomorrow only, this piece, along with all of Wings's work is 20% off (works by other artists are 30% off); 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 Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Joy

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

She is a messenger, this tiny creature with the ability to fly in all directions.

No wonder the chance to feed is for her a moment of pure and unbridled joy. She hovers, then perches, then drinks . . . and when she drinks, her small spirit wings beat an involuntary tattoo upon the evening air.



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.

Announcing a One-Time Only Three-Day Sale at NDN Silver

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

We made a great deal of progress this week on building the house, but it came at great cost — far more than we had anticipated. Part of it is that things are moving faster than we anticipated, too. Part of it is simply that this stuff costs, big-time. Despite our best efforts, we're looking at having to halt construction and put the crew on hiatus next week unless we can cover materials and labor by the end of the weekend.

So, for this weekend — today, tomorrow, and Sunday ONLY — we are doing something we have never, ever done before: We are offering a sale on everything in the gallery, including Wings's work. Yes, even the belt above.

Photo copyright Wings, 2016; all rights reserved.
It applies to work by other Native artists, too, at an even higher price break. Yes, even the gigantic medicine bear.

Here are the details, and there are no exceptions:  20% off on Wings's silverwork and photographs; 30% on all work by other Native artists. No sales tax, as always. Buyer pays shipping, handling, and insurance. Absolutely no layaway or installment payments. We take personal checks and money orders (contact me for payee and addressing info); VISA and MasterCard; and PayPal (PayPal is much preferred over credit/debit cards). 

And if you're not in the market for gorgeous authentic indigenous art, but still want to help out, you can kick in a few bucks by means of our YouCaring page. We also hope everyone will go to the page and share the link via the widgets there, and spread around the code from the purple widget box at the lower right, which will give you this:


This is, as I said, I one-shot offer. Wings never puts his own work on sale; this is a major sacrifice for him. But it's a chance to score really beautiful, spirit-filled wearable Native art (and photography) at a price you're unlikely to see ever again. 

Thanks to everyone who's helped out thus far. Here's a chance to get a great deal in the process.



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 Feature: Conspiring With the Stars

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.

It's our Friday Feature at The NDN Silver Blog, with a child's work from Wings's private collection. It's a piece crafted in the old way, even though it features some more contemporary material, and the whole manages to conspire with the stars.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Inquiries via the site's Contact form. And, as always, sales are much needed (now more than ever), 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, July 21, 2016

Progress and Setbacks



This has been a hugely expensive week. We shelled out several thousand dollars today alone, on top of what we paid out Monday and Tuesday for supplies and materials deliveries. 

A good chunk of it is labor, of course, and there's a lot of labor to be done. But we're heading into the really costly stages, with plumbing and wiring and fixtures and walls and windows and doors and adobes and beams and and and until I'm ready to tear my hair out.

Today started out like this:

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
We had the construction crew and the plumber's crew stepping all over each other (well, actually, they did pretty well at working on separate projects in such a small space). The regular crew got the foam in all the way around and the rest of the rebar tied in, while the plumber's crew dug the conduits for the water lines, laid the pipe, and got the drain set for the ground-floor bathroom.

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
You can see the rebar nestled in the cinder block at right, and the foam edging it all, with the pipe in the center. How they managed to stay out of each other's way enough to do the kind of incredibly neat job that both crews did is beyond me.

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
This is what it looks like tonight: Kitchen rough-in in the foreground; bathroom shower drain in the center; bathroom connections to the left; utility room hook-ups beyond that. They buried all the rest of the pipe so neatly you can't even tell the dirt was ever disturbed.

Now, it all looks like the photo in the widget up at the top. The plumbers are done for a month or more, while they get the walls up, the beams installed, the windows and doors ready, and the wiring done. We still need another load of fill, and another load of crusher fine for mortaring the adobes; we need to get the slab poured next week; we need the massive adobe pallets themselves (along with the delivery charge); we need to go down to Lowe's or Home Depot and go window shopping, literally. We need to arrange for the wiring, which has been pushed back because of the cost of everything that needed to be done this week.

I'm still tearing my hair out.

I said last night that there would be no rest for this, but I had no idea how horribly right I was going to be. The new YouCaring page has had to go up already, and it's a doozy. It's not like we have a choice. We're in this now, and the only way out is forward, however long it takes. So please, share the link from the page itself, use the widgets, spread the code around, all the usual.

As thanks, I'll leave you with this, which reminds me of the Maathai story about the hummingbird:  "I will do what I can." 

Photo copyright Aji, 2016; all rights reserved.
That's all I can do, and I'm doing it.



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.