Gathering of Spirits. Acrylic on canvas.91.4 cm x 61 cm. A montage of Native American spirit masks from many tribes throughout North America. While the colors are bright and contemporary in appearance they are the traditional colors used in painting by the various tribal artists. The mask colors are not depicted accurately, because I chose to contemporize them for the sake of this montage. It was important to me, that each mask stand apart from the others, illustrating its uniqueness, its power and its strength. Also available in digital format at http://1-bj-tuininga.artisticwebsites.com. ©All original images and material are copyrighted and tracked through an online service.
New Age Packaging of the Native American Spirit. Mixed media on Canvas.91.4cm x 91.cm. 2007.This evolved from my interpretation of Philip Jenkins book Dreamcatcher she wrote about how the Europeans attempted to destroy the Indian believes, their culture, their religion and their language and then have worked fervently to imitate that which they attempted to destroy.... But in their own image... To those familiar with Art History the story unravels itself in bits and pieces and mocks not our Native brothers and sisters, but the settlers who tried to change them. Also available in digital format at http://1-bj-tuininga.artisticwebsites.com©All original material and images are copyrighted and tracked though an online service
Our Children Hold the Future in Their Hands. Mixed media on canvas. 45.7 cm x 50.8 cm.The original painting is for sale and I will donate 50% of the proceeds to ONE Spirit youth programs.Frustrated with the state of world peace, I realized that I would never see true Peace in my lifetime. My young grandsons (the model for this painting) had so much ahead of them and I realized they are the hope of the world...along with the rest of their generation. It is so much to hand off to them...and for each generation it becomes more complicated. It is my hope that they truly can discover the secret to lasting Peace... Very textural, sensual painting created with the blending of oils and cold wax. The overall ambiance is of hope and spirituality.
The Madonna of the Setting Sun. Acrylic on canvas. 91.4 cm x 61 cm. Private Collection. A loose interpretation of a mother of mixed race and child. Styled after the Casta paintings of Mexico. The mother's dress, the papoose board and wrapping are styled after 1895 Comanche garb. The dress is a three-hide dress with a beaded yoke and collar. It also has fringe and beads on the hem, sides of the dress and the sleeves. The decorative heart and dove was added to tie in the Christian influence. The Papoose board contains a cross decoration on each piece that projects above the child's head and signifies Christian influence. The child's wrap is hand-beaded and laced together with rawhide. The original designs may be seen in the Museum of the Native American in Washington DC.
The Rape of America. 76.2cm x 101.6cm. Juried acceptance into the 2009 Bold and Rude Women Show. Started as the recession hit and the jobs disappeared, and as the homeless and unemployed numbers grew and we were thrust into economic and political uncertainty. Throughout the devastation, there was hope...a light in the distance...The Old Girl (USA) has strength and is willing to show that she is still alive! The blend of oil paint and cold wax applied with palette knives, creates a thick textural surface, which helps to emphasize the poignancy of the subject matter.
Sgt. Pepper's Groupie: The Button Man. Mixed media on canvas. 91.4cm x 61cm.Whimsically decorated in colorful buttons this portrait is a play on the "pearlies of London" a fraternal organization which had roots at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries in England. They generally were working men and women who "resented the life of the Royals" and decided to create a royal class of their own. They decorated old Tuxedos and Ballgowns and even their hats with white pearl buttons in ornate designs. The elected a King and a Queen of the Pearlies and the title was past down through generations.
