Going back to what I know

Of all the work I've done, the pieces that got the most attention have been either my graphite still-life's or photo manipulation.  I mentioned earlier about going back to what I'm good at and growing from there.  So I think I'm going to head that direction.  I may have even found a source of inspiration. 

I have always been drawn emotionally and spiritually to the culture of the Native American.  As long as I can remember I have always held a curiosity and respect for their art and beliefs.  Living in South Dakota has brought me into the presence of a great nation, the Ogala Lakota Sioux.  Everyone is in some way familiar with the Sioux. Crazy Horse, battle of Wounded Knee, Custer's Last Stand, Sitting Bull, Dances with Wolves, the teepee, the war bonnet, intricate beadwork and many other iconic images that we use to associate with the "Indian".  You can't spend time in the Black Hills without feeling and understanding why this area was sacred to the Sioux people. I highly recommend "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee", by Dee Brown.  There's a whole different side to how the west was won, or as some have put it "how the west was lost..." For any one who fancies themselves an American History buff, it should be required reading. 

So I hope that my source of inspiration, the buffalo and  War Bonnet, do justice to show my respect and awe of this beautiful culture.  I hope to use my personal buffalo photographs as well as borrow from an item that is quite exquisite, a buffalo skull with war bonnet imagery.  I hope to convey as sense of life/death/rebirth with my work.  I don't want to go into too much detail, but I really hope I come through on this one.