The Purple Heart, 1998, acrylic, pencil, collage on canvas, 24" X 18".

The portrait in this painting is of an Arapaho war chief that lived on the Wind River Reservation at the turn of the century. As I worked with his image, I thought about what his life must have been like. He was born in a time before the Arapahos were assigned to share a reservation with their enemies, the Shoshone. I wanted to create a tribute to this man and his people for all they endured, for their values, way of life, and spiritual beliefs. The mandala becomes sort of a halo with the six-pointed star made of two triangles, symbolizing the coming together of heaven and earth. The "feathers" become hearts and the colored squares on his chest are "compartments" of the stored memories and experiences of his people.

Flight Beyond Egypt Converging Wisdom

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