Masterpieces

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now I can show you this.

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that Wings had created two new works that were true masterpieces. I showed you one then, and it sold in a matter of hours. The other I couldn't post, because it was en route to its recipient, and he needed to be the first person to see it.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Sorry, folks: This one is not duplicable. Oh, sure; he can create a version with a generally similar band, although it would never be identical, because he feels so strongly that each piece is meant to be unique to its wearer that he simply will not make one that's 100% identical. Period. But the thing that makes this truly sui generis is that stone, and yes, there was only one, and no, he does not have any more like it. It was part of his very old inventory (possibly one passed down to him by his father): an incredibly large, perfect, wholly natural cabochon of Number Eight turquoise, in a flawless robin's-egg blue with a gold-tinted matrix.

And, yes, it was very expensive.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

The stone alone was extremely valuable. The labor was something else. And the spirit? As the commercial says, priceless.

This was a special commission, but a very special client and friend. He chose the stone himself, from Wings's inventory, and Wings designed a piece to provide a protective spirit for him as he goes about his work. There's a lot of cynicism about the phrase "social justice warrior" these days, but it's life-saving, world-saving work, and he and his wife both do it daily. We're indebted to them for their contributions, and especially for their friendship.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Wings has built an impressive portfolio of incredible work over the years, and a lot of his best pieces were commissioned ones like this. I don't often have a chance to post images of them, but this one is extra-special, and it deserves to be seen.

Tomorrow, if all goes as planned, I'll be bringing you another of his masterworks: It'll be the featured piece at The NDN Silver Blog. It's not quite on the scale of this one, either in size or in spirit, but it's substantial, nonetheless. It's also beautiful. I know; I've watched it take shape under his hands.

It may post rather later in the day, depending on when it's complete. But watch that space and this one, because it'll be worth it.







All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Jewels and Gems: Lassoing the Moon

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted, at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the latest in our Tuesday series on Jewels and Gems. Today, it's a grandmother's stone, but not in the way you might think. It's also a collection images of beautifully diverse forms of the stone itself, all in pieces created by Wings. Unfortunately, each of the items pictured has long since sold (and a few were special commissions anyway), but he does have more cabochons in inventory, so if you see something that especially speaks to your soul, he can create a unique version just for you.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. And we need sales, so of course, we need and welcome shares of all the site links.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Scent of Memory

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

I took this same shot mere weeks ago, when the world was white. Now, it's all color, green and rose and lavender.

We've had two evenings straight of scattered rainshowers, unusual here this time of year. The world smells new in a way that nothing else does.

It smells like home.

I mentioned last week that an old friend of Wings's had offered us some hay, 30 solid bales if high-grade alfalfa. We went and picked it up this morning, just the two of us in the old truck. Yes, I lifted and loaded (and unloaded) bales, 65 pounds a pop, despite my injured leg and hand. Work has to get done, and as a man we called brother once famously said, "Our women are tough as hell." We have to be.

But driving onto this man's land . . . . His drive is lined with evergreens, alternating spruce and juniper and piñon, in a size and luxuriance that I haven't seen since childhood summers back home. Pine needles a good eight inches in length on each branch, the sort of length seen on the old soldier pines up by Grayling. The smell of rich fresh loamy earth, and lush green grass and sweet alfalfa already shooting up through the soil.

I was four again, and running through our own fields out to the orchard.

Spring is a fraught time, as much for me personally as for the earth itself. And there's more than a touch of melancholy to the memories.

But they smell sweet.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Monday Photo Meditation: Signs of Spring

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

All new at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a photo meditation perfectly suited to this Monday before Easter. As always, it's a collection of three thematic images, all woven together through the text. And, as always, the photos are available for purchase in any of three ways: 1) full-sized, signed, matted, and framed; 2) full-sized, photo only; and 3) 8X10-ish-sized signed and number print. Simply use the Contact form on the site to inquire.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. And, also as always, shares are much needed and welcomed.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Palette of the setting sun . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

painting a watercolor sky.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Heart of the World

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the final entry in this week's Wednesday/weekend series highlighting Wings's own work. Today, we continue with themes of hearts and healing, all wrapped up in shades of green.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares of all links are needed and welcomed. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Breath of God.

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

The Kiss of Spirit.







All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A Journey Into the Heart of the Year

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a continuation of our current Wednesday/weekend series highlighting Wings's work across specific themes. This time, it's a collection of themes bound by shade and spirit, as we look at some of his best current work in green turquoise that evokes motifs of hearts and healing in new (and very old) ways.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares of all links are needed and welcomed.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

No smoke on the waters, . . .

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

but definitely fire in the sky.

There's fire in other places and spaces, too. We'll view a few of them in the days to come.

I have about a dozen different topical posts in the works. Two or three of them would've been slated for this week, but between crappy connectivity and getting kicked, my week has not gone as planned. [Speaking of which, my thigh is starting to look a lot like that sky up there. I'll be fine. Back to muck duty today, even though it took me three times as long.] Oh, and e-mail and site-loading are still more borked than not.

In the meantime, the need to make sales is never-ending, so the first post of the weekend will undoubtedly be the promo for the one at Wings's site tomorrow. I need to [gawd, I hate this word] leverage all of that work somehow. If all goes well (BIG "if," natch), there'll be more substantive stuff on offer here before the weekend's out. Yes, the usual sorts of topics. Sorry; that's my gig in life.

For now, I have to go and test the blood of a diabetic dog and give her her insulin injection. Yes, this is my life.

But occasionally, there will be fire.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: A Thing of Beauty

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the last installment in our March Friday Feature series. In recognition of Women's History Month, we've been highlighting the work of Taos Pueblo's women pottery artists, and our final entry is one that's very special in many ways.

The post itself is here.  Wings's main page is here.  Shares of all links needed and welcomed.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Alone

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Sometimes

You grow taller

Stand stronger

Reach farther

Root deeper

When you are alone.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#TBT: The Departure of the Eagles

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

It's #ThrowbackThursday at The NDN Silver Blog, and we don't have to go back very far for the subject of today's post (although there is one subthread to it that's very old indeed). Better yet, it also evokes a looking forward, a harbinger of things to come, a part of life's ancient and eternal hoop.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares of all links are needed and welcomed. And, as always, the photos are also available for purchase, in any of the usual three ways (full-size and signed/matted/framed; full-size but photo only; and 8X10-ish signed/numbered print).

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Of Hands and Hearts and Healing

Photo copyright Aji, 2015;
all rights reserved.

All new at The NDN Silver Blog, it's Wings's latest, and it's a very special (and very timely) showpiece. He's woven special significance into the stone's setting, and to the strand from which it hangs, creating a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. And shares, as always, are needed and welcomed.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Wounded Creatures

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Just because we look like this now doesn't mean that that stripped,  flayed being isn't still hiding inside.

It also doesn't mean that that being owes anyone in particular any particular thing, within that "anyone"'s particular frameworks.

I just got a painful reminder of that for my owndamnself. Seems some other folks elsewhere could use one, too.

When you work with horses, you know never to run up on one without making your presence known. That goes double for horses who've been abused. Make that animals, actually. Or better yet, creatures, or beings. Of any sort and species. 

Because, you see, PTSD is a thing. It's a thing for horses, every bit as much as for people (and for dogs, too). And it affects how they respond to any given stimulus.

How we respond.

We were out with the horses. Wings had asked for my help in moving a panel; that done, I went up to each of the horses in turn, as I pretty much always do when out there. I'm not so stupid as to do it silently, from behind; I know well what these animals are capable of, even when there's absolutely zero intent to hurt anyone or anything. 

After Shade, Ice, and Cree in turn, I approached Miskwaki, eating out of a wall trough. It was the second or third time in the last couple of hours, and he was well aware of my presence out there. And, of course, I spoke to him first, as always, so that I wouldn't surprise him unnecessarily.

And then he spooked. Hard.

Jumped, wheeled, kicked. From an angle and distance and at a rate of speed you wouldn't have thought possible. And his hoof caught me squarely in the right thigh, the front tip grazing my ankle as he came down bucking and pitching.

I'm lucky. An inch lower, and I'd probably be in the emergency room right now with my femur snapped in half. Despite my health issues, I also seem to have unusually strong bones, for which I thank all that's sacred every day.

But there's damage. And I'll be feeling it for a few weeks, at least.

Miskwaki certainly never meant to hurt me. He wasn't even trying to hurt me, or anyone or anything else. It was a wholly unthinking response, a visceral reaction to a sudden sensory shock that shot him back with all the force of a bullet to that place in his past where he was himself purposely and purposefully damaged.

It was a reaction; nothing more.

But it was a reminder to me that, no matter how careful I think I'm being, I always have to keep in mind that what seems perfectly innocuous to me, and even to the other horses, may indeed look to him like Fear and Pain coming for him again, escorts of Death. I had a less painful reminder only last week, when he ran from me instead of letting me halter him — and I realized, once again, that in addition to having my dark hair tied up, I had on dark-lensed sunglasses. One of his triggers, for reasons we understand only too well.

And now, acting in all innocence, with nothing but good intent, I sent him back to a place that is very dark. And it blew back on me, and yes, I will be feeling the afterburn for a very long time.

It's not his fault; it's not my fault; it just is. And that changes exactly nothing. 

Repairs have to be made, to both of us. He will now need reassurance that I do not blame him, and another round of added desensitization. And I won't be able to do much of that until I've repaired the damage to myself, sufficiently, at least, to allow me to walk around out there again steadily. 

But see, here's the thing: I need to fix myself. It's not his responsibility. Trying to make it his responsibility (pointless with an animal, but we're speaking now in metaphor) victimizes him twice over again. At least.

People could learn some lessons.

Postscript: For those who need it spelled out, here it is: The metaphor refers not to any idea that those who have been marginalized or otherwise injured are in some way irreparably damaged and everyone must therefore be wary of unleashing a reactionary response. That's not it. AT ALL. Rather, it refers to the fact that when someone occupying a position of relative privilege further marginalizes, erases, or otherwise injures a member of a marginalized population, intentionally or not, the person engaging in the behavior is the one responsible for the damage, INCLUDING any blowback to herself (or himself). It's about not shifting blame onto victims. And, yes, this refers to some very specific incidents, some of which are playing out online as I write this, but also to the entire set of dominant culture dynamics in this society.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Attention Whor[s]e

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Have one.

Every time the camera comes out, he thinks it's just for him now. He poses. 

Maybe we should just get him a mirror.

Weather's changing; wind has finally (finally!) died down, and I have a connection again. We'll see if e-mail comes through after another few days of choking. We're supposed to get rain tomorrow (snow tomorrow night, allegedly), so who knows? Weather notwithstanding, my knees are functioning better than our Internet access. And that's absolutely pathetic.

Tomorrow, though, I'll have something lovely for y'all over at Wings's site. You've had a sneak peek at part of it already: one of the heart pendants. It's now on a strand of beads and available for purchase, and it's beautiful. He's also got several new showpieces in the pipeline — really spectacular stuff, absolutely amazing workmanship and outstanding stones. As each gets finished in turn, I'll post them both there and here.

For now, I'm wiped. There's a lot going on here (when isn't there?), but it's all aggravated by the spring winds. Yes, they're here. When I woke up Monday morning, the willows had just begun to green out, but they seem to have brought the winds with them, so I can look forward to a couple of months of disengagement from a lot of online activity — partly because our connection will be even crappier than usual, and partly because the strain they put on my body means that I need to conserve my energies for the myriad mandatory tasks of each day.

So, you'll see me when you see me. Sometimes, it'll be something substantive; sometimes, it'll just be a picture of an attention whor[s]e.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Jewels and Gems: The Color of Dawn

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's the latest in our current Tuesday series on jewels and gems, and today, it's a stone in the color of dawn. Unlike some of our recent entries, this one includes two items are that are still in our inventory and available for purchase, and one is an absolute masterpiece. It also has images of a couple of sold items, and one showpiece that was stolen out of the gallery within a day or so of Wings having completed it. [So, as I said elsewhere, if you happen to see it anywhere, please report it as stolen property and let us know.]

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares of all links from the site itself needed and welcomed.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

No Safe Space

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

None.

I've known that my whole life, of course; when your very existence is one that fits into none of the spaces societally sanctioned, you learn very fast that you are safe nowhere.

Even — especially — at home.

Apparently there is once again a movement afoot to do away with "safe spaces" and such minimal protective devices for the injured and abused as "trigger warnings." They make the dominant culture uncomfortable; they point up abusiveness in a society that prefers to think of itself as both ruggedly individual and yet preternaturally charitable.

They suggest, in the quietest, mildest of terms, that perhaps such shibboleths as "up by your bootstraps" and "grow a thicker skin" and "you need to learn to take it" are perhaps not so much sure and certain truths as they are tools of authoritarianism, of control, of oppression.

Of abuse.

We have a new phrase making the rounds recently: "lateral violence." It's a thing, yes, and it needs to be addressed; hell, it needs to be upended, destroyed, burned to the ground, the earth salted over it. But it's now being used as a tool of violence, a bludgeon to be flung at some for the benefit of others, often within communities. [But not always; one of the more egregious recent examples involved someone who was, to me, a clear pretender arrogating the right to label others in a community for which she presumed to speak as practitioners of it. In such cases, the real violence isn't lateral at all, but more punching downward by yet another appropriator. And yet, someone close to me glommed onto this particular event as some sort of supposed demonstration of "allyship."]

I've spent my whole life fighting to own my voice, a voice. Silenced from infancy in literal and violent terms, struck even on the mouth for the most innocent of questions: funnily enough, sometimes for repeating the abuse'rs own words in all confusion, seeking clarification of meaning. And by "funny," I mean it's opposite, of course. And by struck, I mean not one event, but many, many, many.

Told to shut up. Bluntly, politely, obliquely, passive-aggressively, threateningly, it makes no difference. The end result was always the same.

Silencing.

Erasure.

Because I was not entitled to my words, much less my life. Not entitled to my existence, particularly when it didn't conform to sanctioned spaces and their prescribed (and proscribed) labels.

It's a legacy of colonialism, of course. One of many, and of many other dynamics, too. But it's real.

I was called "nigger" a couple of weeks ago. Flat out. In a public space. 

It's embarrassing. It shouldn't be, to me, of course, because the fault is not mine; the shame belongs to the bigot who said it. And yet, society dictates that the shame must also be mine. And then begins to look for "reasons."

It was, of course, another attempt to silence me. I'd said something the bigot didn't like. Some truth.

And for that, women of color are to be erased: for the great dominant culture crime of speaking truth. Forget about "to power"; speaking it under one's breath, to a peer, in a virtual space, in any other small and seemingly noninvasive way is more than enough.

And so silencing becomes insufficient: We are to be erased, dehumanized in a most literal sense.

I'm tired.

A half-century of fighting to speak, to be seen, to be "allowed" to exist in whatever unfitting spaces can be found, however uncomfortable to oneself and discomfiting to everyone else, will do that to you.

There's a new generation of women of color, though, braver and fiercer than I could ever have dreamed of being, and they are refusing to be silenced, refusing to be erased, refusing to be forced into unsafe spaces.

They are under attack, of course. From without, and from within. But they exhibit a courage I couldn't even conceive at their age, a willingness to put it all on the line, an insistence on being that will not be denied.

I don't have heroes, much less gods or masters.

But these women? They inspire me.

No safe space.

So I'm creating my own.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

 

Monday Photo Meditation: The Song of Spring

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

New and now posted at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a seasonal herald, a half-itinerant troubadour and his song: Meadowlark. It's also a collection of three beautiful images showing him in differing modes of expression.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares needed and welcomed.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Signs of Spring

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

The catkins opened on the aspens today. It happened early, in the dawn hours; they were already there when I went outside for morning prayers.

It's an odd season, unsure, unsettled, and the sensations carry over into our days, our bodies, our lives.

It reminds me of home, something familiarly within reach and yet so far away I can't even touch it in memory anymore, let alone in dreams. And whatever links to my childhood remain to me, none is untouched by the darker side of memory.

It's a melancholy season.

If I'm lucky, it'll be an early summer.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The Heavens In Miniature

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Today at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a little sherd of the vaulted sky, captured in a little hoop of wearable art.It continues the celestial themes of the last few days, the sky-centered lens through which we explore some of Wings's work.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares of all links are needed and welcomed.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Replay

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

More of the same tonight.

Today, too. Chores, chores, and more chores: all the usual, plus more hoof work on the horses, plus a few other miscellaneous tasks. No time for writing (or much of anything else).

Someday . . . . 

Well, maybe.




'
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Spirits of Wind and Water and Sky

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Today at The NDN Silver Blog, we continue Wednesday's theme, this time with an exploration of a spirit of the sky, as conceived and rendered by Wings. As the piece notes, it's a lot of symbolic weight for such a tiny and seemingly fragile being to carry, but he's much stronger and more powerful than he looks at first glance.

The post is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares of both are needed and welcomed.





All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

The First Sunset of Spring

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

Spring.

Clouds, then sun, then clouds, then sun, then rain, then sun.

And I am sicker than the proverbial dog (again, Spring; thanks a lot), so I got nothin'. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Friday Feature: Flowers, On the First Day of Spring

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

Today at The NDN Silver blog, it's the third in our March Friday Feature series highlighting the work of Native women artists, in recognition of Women's History Month. It's also the first day of Spring, and today's artist and her work are a perfect fit for the spirit of the day. She's also family, and a towering talent.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares needed and welcomed.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Rainmaker

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

So, maybe not an escort, at least in the usual sense.

A rainmaker, in both senses of the term, apparently. 

This little girl is more Thunderbird than I suspected. 




All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

#TBT: A Sense of Place, of Home

Photo copyright Wings, 2015; all rights reserved.

It's #TBT at The NDN Silver Blog, and today, it's something close to home in very literal terms. It's also the last beautiful little piece we have in inventory by this artist, who is Wings's cousin.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. Shares from the link are appreciated.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

Coming Closer

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

She wasn't there when I walked out this morning for prayers.

A few moments later, she was.

I never saw her alight, despite the fact that that spot was within my line of sight the whole time.

She still won't let me capture her image in flight. But she waited patiently while I got a couple of decent shots, swiveling her head to look directly at me as though posing.

I don't know what her message is now. She's clearly not here as an escort, and she's coming closer than ever before. Maybe it's just moral support.

One Thunderbird Woman to another.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.

A Vision Mapping Earth and Sky

Photo copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved.

All new at The NDN Silver Blog, it's a piece Wings completed only yesterday, and it's truly a masterpiece. This is one of those rare occasions when every element comes together perfectly, and in his talented hands and with his artistic vision, it's one of those works that is far, far greater than the sum of its parts. Come and look.

The post itself is here. Wings's main page is here. And, yes, shares are needed.






All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.