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Bascomb-Louise Gallery, Highlands, North Carolina - 1988
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WhiteHawk with the Curators at Bascomb-Louise Gallery |
WhiteHawk with her paintings and the Cherokee Art Work |
WhiteHawk with Lloyd Carl Owl |
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Birdie Miller Sixkiller -
School Teacher |
Mary Shell -
Finger Weaving |
Lloyd Carl Owl -
Stone Carver |
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Hayes Lassiah -
Blow Gun Maker |
Edna Chickaleelee -
Quilt Maker |
Charlie Ledford -
Wood Burner |
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Charlie Ledford and His Wood Burnings |
Hayes Lassiah with Wood Carvings |
We moved to Sylvia, North Carolina in 1986 and one night I had a
vision dream. In the dream I saw portraits of six Cherokee people that
I had painted. The paintings were in a gallery show with Cherokee art
work. This was very strange since, at the time, I had not met any
Cherokee people. During the next several weeks a friend of ours
introduced me to the six Cherokee people that I would paint. They all
willingly posed while I took their photographs. They were all happy
that they didn't have to sit the whole time I painted!
Two months after I began the paintings I noticed a small newspaper
ad inviting artists to bring their work into the Bascomb-Louise
Gallery, a prestigious gallery in Highlands, North Carolina. When they
saw several of my Cherokee portraits they suggested having a show with
my paintings and the Cherokee art work. They had been holding a space
for a show from China and decided to do the Cherokee show instead. I am
so grateful for that experience.
Cherokee Museum, Cherokee, NC - 1988
After my show at the Bascomb-Louise Gallery in Highlands, North
Carolina, the six Cherokee portraits were shown at the Cherokee Museum
in Cherokee, North Carolina.
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Birdie Miller Sixkiller -
School Teacher |
Mary Shell -
Finger Weaving |
Lloyd Carl Owl -
Stone Carver |
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Hayes Lassiah -
Blow Gun Maker |
Edna Chickaleelee -
Quilt Maker |
Charlie Ledford -
Wood Burner |
Contemporary Art Museum, University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida - 1993
Sweat Lodge (Sacred) Geometries
In the painting Aboriginal Woman was the first time I used the sacred geometries of the Inipi (Sweat Lodge) in a
painting. Aboriginal Woman is within the Vesica Piscis and there is one on either side of her. The energy fields
of these extend beyond the painting onto the wall. The lodge poles form a half circle - the other half extending
below ground level. The center panel is in the Golden Proportion with each of the side panels individually.
Shamans of the South and West
Shamans of the South and West was an installation piece in a juried
show at the Contemporary Art Museum on the University of South Florida Campus.
Tampa Museum Of Art, Tampa, Florida - 1996
I was honored to be included in the "Annual Members Gala and Auction" at the Tampa Museum of Art. I was excited
to have my work shown with Picasso's ceramics.
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The Invitation |
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Cover |
Inside |
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My personal invitation for the show |
Article in the Tampa Museum Publication |
Pictures of the Sacred Space
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Sacred Space |
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Ceiling |
Floor |
Life Capes that created the walls of the Four Directions of the Sacred Space
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Red Life Cape (South) |
Black Life Cape (West) |
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| Front |
Front |
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| Back |
Back |
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The Red Life Cape symbolizes the South direction and the good red road. |
The Black Life Cape symbolizes the West direction and introspection. |
| Yellow Life Cape (East) |
White Life Cape (North) |
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| Front |
Front |
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Back |
| The Yellow Life Cape symbolizes the East direction and Eagle Vision. |
The White Life Cape symbolizes the North direction and White Buffalo. |
Cherokee Portraits Return Home
September 30 - October 30, 2005
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Reception September 30, 7:00 PM
The Lift Culture House
516 Tsali Blvd.
Cherokee, North Carolina 28719
828-497-0707 |
How The Cherokee Paintings Came To Be
We moved to Sylva, North Carolina in 1986 from Atlanta, Georgia. I
had a vision dream in November 1987. I saw myself painting six
life-size portraits of Cherokee Native Americans living in Cherokee,
North Carolina. I also saw the paintings and arts and crafts of the
Cherokees together in a show. I was told that the purpose of these
portraits would be to show the joy and happiness in the souls of our
Native American people - “it is time”. I am very grateful and happy to
be a part of such a joyous happening.
I was shown the six subjects of the paintings one by one. I met Mary
Shell while she was weaving, just two days before her retirement form
the Village. When I shared my dream with her, she said she would be
happy to do it. Then I met Hayes Lossiah through Tom and Kay at Medicine Man.
He was also happy to be a subject and I was excited to feel the flow
of it all coming together so beautifully. Inez Seay introduced me to
Charles Ledford, Birdie Miller Sixkiller and Lloyd Carl Owle. They were
all enthusiastic about the project and became my next three subjects.
That left one to go and Lloyd introduced me to Edna Chekelelee. These
six people are now represented in life-size paintings showing the joy and happiness in their souls.
WhiteHawk
The descriptions under each painting were excerpted from interviews conducted by North Carolina writer Nina Anderson.
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| The Lift Culture House in Cherokee, NC owned by Natalie Smith and Leon Grodski was the perfect gathering
place for the families to receive paintings of their loved ones from WhiteHawk. |
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| Edna told the old legends, sang, danced and created with her hands. She taught what she had learned including
the Cherokee language she said “to keep what God gave us”. |
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| Charlie’s wood burnings are prized possessions which he creates
from Native woods. He enjoys his work and talks about it with an easy
smile and quiet sense of humor. |
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| Lloyd is a Master carver of wood and pipestone and has several
pieces in the Smithsonian Institute. He currently works as a cultural
counselor at Unity Treatment Center in Cherokee. |
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| Mary was a Master at finger weaving, and traveled internationally. She kept her Cherokee traditions alive and taught her
grandchildren and great grandchildren to speak Cherokee. |
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| Hayes was 83 years old when this painting was done and lived in
Cherokee, NC. He was a Master water drum and blow gun maker. He
cherished his Cherokee traditions, his wife, family and the land of his people. |
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| Birdie lovingly taught primary grades on the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, NC for 30 years. She was always politically
active for progress of the Native Americans. |
When I entered the Bareiss Gallery for the first time, I visualized my Sacred Space and other paintings there. The main
gallery has a wonderfully high ceiling and is full of white light. My vision became a reality a year later.
Contact
Phone: (575) 758-1443
E-Mail: WhiteHawk@writeme.com
Copyright © 2006-08 WhiteHawk, All Rights Reserved
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