Sitting Bull

Sitting Bull is next in my series of famous,notable  and important Native Americans .

Sitting Bulls, Indian name was  Tatanka Iyotake.  Sitting Bull was born  into the Hunkpapa of the Teton Sioux.1830 -1831, in the Dakota Territory in the blackhills and died on December 15, 1890, on the Grand River in South Dakota

He was a  Teton Dakota Indian chief  and Holy man who united  the Sioux tribes  in their struggle for survival . He held a lifelong distrust of white men and  stubbornly determination to resist their domination. Sitting Bull joined his first war party at age 14 and soon gained a reputation for fearlessness in battle. He fought many battles beat George Custer but in the end he was forced to surrender. 

There was a Ghost Dance Movement  that started in the southwest spread to the Black hills  . Sitting Bull allowed this religious movement in his area. This Ghost Dance Movement  worried the Calvary BIA agents. They sent lawmen to arrest Sitting Bull in hopes of preventing an uprising . When Sitting Bull was about to be arrested braves loyal to Sitting Bull protested a fight ensued . Strange as it seems  Sitting Bull Died by the hands of a natives of his own tribe who were working for the government..

Now back to my art. I felt most  references showed Sitting Bull as a Defiant adversary to the white man and his world.  I softened the expression to what I would expect if he was addressing his tribe or family.  For some reason my lighting was off when photographing this on just a tad dark on the top and lower right .

This is graphite on 10 X 15 warm white Stonehenge paper 100% cotton.   Hope you enjoy looking at it I enjoyed doing it.

Anna

Annie Dodge Wauneka was a very influential member of the Navajo Nation she received honorary Doctorates Presidential awards. She did alot of work to improve the health  of the Navajo people on the Reservation.

In my quest to paint this woman all photos are 20 to 40 years old and was not pleased with most  of the few that are there. I took old poses with with different facial angles. The only colored photo I found I didnt like her red blouse  .  I liked a pose with a smile it appeared as she was 50s in it I tried to achieve a likeness of her in that time frame.

This is the result .

This took a while to do , first the sketch then I painted it in a monochrome of a grey. Then added  the color as glazes on top one layer at a time .  This was with acrylic which dries fast . Trying to make the blouse look like blue velvet was tricky.

This is acrylic on a 16 x 20 canvas

I hope you like it

Chief Manuelito

Chief Manuelito was the main Chief of the Navajos in the mid to late 1800s. 

He told a story to his people  after the long walk. 

 He said, 
"My grandchild, the whites have many things which we Navajos need. But we cannot get them. It is as though the whites were in a grassy canyon and there they have wagons, plows, and plenty of food. We Navajos are up on a dry mesa. We can hear them talking but we cannot get to them. My grandchild, education is the ladder . Tell our people to take it."

I painted this to remember his words  as if he just climbed down a ladder and was walking away.  Those words ring true for all mankind .

I used a 1850 photo of Chief Manuelito as a reference.  (there are very few of them ) I dont know who the photographer was.  

 

Chief Manuelito education is the ladder

This is an acrylic painting on canvas 16 x 20.

Thank you for looking

 

Study of a Master

I have doodled and sketched figures and portraits.  I never really worked hard at it .  I have done life drawing from taped models  but just pencil or charcoal .  This endeavor was to be a  portrait fully painted.  I chose a famous painting by Johannes Vermeer Girl with a Turban or Girl with Pear Earring.  The original is the approximately the size of canvas .

All and all I am pleased with the way it turned out.  I had many references of this painting skin shade varied with all of  them. I need to study color combinations that duplicate 1600s palette.

The young woman's clothing and facial features are convincing.  There's a few things I would do different .

This is an acrylic painting on a 14 x 18 stretched canvas.

I hope you enjoy looking at it .

Illustrations For a Childrens Book #2

Here are the second set of illustrations .  The hardest part is keeping the people and the puppy looking similar from one scene to the next.

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I had fun doing these . I think I will explore more in this area of art.I have a relative who has some ideas we need to explore. She has some old books she had written decades ago might try a new set of art work for them. It seems like its hurry up and wait then repeat.

Illustrations for a Childs Book

I did this set of drawings for a starting out author  just so happens I am a starting out artist . I  am waiting to see this set get published . I want to display them since I am pleased on how they turned out.

I wont give away any story details . These illustrations are colored pencil on  8 1/2  x  11 Stonehenge 100% cotton paper . 100% cotton can last centuries .

This is book 1 book2 is for another day. I hope you enjoy viewing them knowing the story I really enjoyed drawing them.

Pastel Portrait of Grandbaby

This is a early venture in to pastels and portraits crossing over from graphite  pencils. This was done maybe June 15 2012 . I don't think I was to active  when I did this. I learned a lot of lessons on this one.

This is on strathmore paper 11 x 14 pastel paper blue grey tinted  with a 24 piece set nu pastels .