XOCHITL Arts Studio - Art for Nature's Sake

(909)860-1834 (phone), (909)861-8811 (fax)
e-mail: aburke@rurallink.net

THE BEAD QUILT

A tribute to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attack and the spirit of the American people in responding to this tragedy. This project was initiated by the San Diego Bead Society. Visit the bead quilt site at http://www.beadquilt.org. The square below is "The Tempering Flame", my contribution to the quilt. : “What does not destroy us, makes us stronger”. Like the steel that must be treated by fire to gain its strength, so it is sometimes with a people. I chose the image of the thunderbird, in the colors of the sun, earth and sky, emerging more powerful from flames in the colors of the flag that unites us. As I worked, I thought how fortunate we are as artists – that, no matter what might happen to us as individuals, we have been blessed to be able to share our vision with others. And that’s not just true for artists – teachers, parents, all of us -- have the opportunity to leave a legacy through our work and our influence. We are more powerful than we realize. Sometimes it takes a disaster to make us understand this.

GUEST ARTIST Margaret Janeese Brixey Flanagan

Margaret Janeese Brixey Flanagan is a member of the Cherokee tribe. She lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, with five of her six children and her husband of 23 years. Margaret has been drawing and creating art since the third grade but, it is her particular love of sculpting that is reflected so well in the life-like appearance of her dolls. She adores making her Native American Orphan babies, and falls in love with each one.

When you look at the exquisite detail of each doll you may find it amazing and inspiring to learn that Margaret has been legally blind since she was a teenager. She has a 6 degree field of vision, from Retinitis Pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disease. The exceptional detail in each doll is created while using a bright magnifier light to help her see. The style and method that she uses to create each doll is self-taught and she learns something new each time she makes a baby.

Margaret's work is considered collectable and can be found in several museums, including the Cherokee National Museum, Cherokee Courthouse Museum and the Indian Territorial Gallery in Broken Arrow. Native American Orphan dolls have also graced private collections world-wide, including those known for their own work, such as the famed Cherokee sculptor and artist, Willard Stone.
Margaret work has been displayed in an exhibit for the Albuquerque Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico and The Special Exhibition of Dolls "The Magic and Romance of Contemporary Art Dolls" The Osborne Room, Metropole Hotel - Brighton, Sussex, England.

For more information, please visit Margaret at http://ndnbabies.hypermart.net/, or e-mail her at ndnbabys@flash.net, regarding current exhibition schedule, museum exhibitions requests or to order you own work of art, a Native American Orphan.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE…

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Check these links to learn more about endangered wildlife and wild places, and to find out what you can do to change the world…..

BIOGEMS (Nat'l Resources Defense Council) . Learn about the beautiful wild places that are endangered, take a virtual tour to appreciate their uniqueness, and find out what you can do to help. http://www.savebiogems.org/

BORDER CATS. The Bordercats Working Group is focused on improving the long-term health and recovery of three endangered species, the jaguar, jaguarundi, and ocelot in the border regions of the USA, including areas in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and adjacent Mexican states. http://www.bordercats.org/

CARE2: A wonderful wildlife conservation site that allows you to send e-cards, personal reminders and so much more -all for free! Click on their "Race for the Big Cats" to purchase land for habitat to help preserve endangered wild cats at http://bigcats.care2.com/i?p=886061224. And visit their homepage at http://care2.com.

EXOTIC FELINE BREEDING COMPOUND. Located in Rosemont, CA, this nonprofit organization is trying to breed endangered felines in captivity to prevent species from becoming extinct. This is a must for feline admirers. Educational and inspiring, with wonderful photos and stories, nice "big cat" gift items, at http://cathouse-fcc.org.

INTERNATIONAL SNOW LEOPARD TRUST. An educational conservation site with great photos and gifts, this one dedicated to one of my favorite endangered species.http://www.snowleopard.org/

MOUNTAIN LION FOUNDATION. This site offers educational information, wonderful photos and gifts related to California wildlife, with pointers for peaceful coexistence with these precious treasures of Nature. Visit at http://www.mountainlion.org.

OCEANA. Oceana is a new non-profit, international advocacy organization created with the sole purpose of protecting the world's oceans to sustain the circle of life. http://www.oceana.org/

FEATURED CREATURE OTTERS

Otters, whether the sea or river variety, are true water sprites, more at home in water than on land. In their element, their grace and sense of play delight us. They are truly aquatic mammals, members of the weasel family.

The Southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is native to the California Coast. During the 19th century, the fur trade almost wiped out sea otters. They were prized for their luxurious pelts, which are denser than that of any other mammal -- they may have as many as a million hairs per square inch! The sea otter spends nearly all his time grooming his coat to keep himself buoyant and warm in the water -- he does not have an insulating layer of blubber like many other marine mammals. Grooming is a must -- the water in which they live can get as cold as 30 degrees F.

Sea otters eat a variety of shellfish and crustaceans. They can dive as deep as 120 feet to search for food. Southern sea otters can weigh up to 65 pounds when grown, and may reach a length of four feet.

They are an endangered species, and fewer than 2000 may exist in the wild. Modern threats to otters include oil spills, pollution and fishing nets, which can cause them to become trapped and drown. The North American River Otter (Lutra canadensis) is a totem animal of the Pacific Northwest Coast tribes. The river otter was once plentiful throughout North America. Like the sea otter, they were hunted for their fur (nutria). They, like most otter species throughout the world, are also endangered. They are more graceful in the water than muskrats and beavers -- river otters seem to make no splashes or ripples when they dive. They remain active all year, even in the coldest Canadian and Alaskan winters. In fact, "snow sliding" is a favorite otter winter sport.

You can learn more about otters from these organizations: Otternet, an Internet information center on species of otters around the world, and Friends of the Sea Otter (FSO), an advocacy group dedicated to protecting the sea otter. The Monterey Bay Aquarium performs vital research on sea otters, and you can learn more about their work at their web site. The image is a detail from "Sea Otters' Copper Shield". Related artwork on this site includes "Otter and Friends" and "Water Ballet".

HISTORICAL NOTE

Prior to contact with white settlers, Native Americans did not have glass beads as we know them. While they were familiar with natural (volcanic) glasses, the art of glass making was unknown. The Northeast Woodlands peoples, of which the Eastern Cree are a branch, created intricate curvilinear designs by embroidering with animal hair and embellishing with beads of stone, shell, quill and bone. Once glass beads became available, they revolutionized traditional artforms. The color range, durability, and ease of use made possible a quantum leap in design. Woodlands artists began experimenting with colors and forms, creating works that combined both European and indigenous motifs.

While most people associate Native beadwork with the geometric designs of the Plains people, the Eastern tribes had access to glass beads long before they reached the Midwest plains. Eastern designs emphasized freeform floral and animal motifs. Because of the Native practice of embellishing everyday objects with art, beads became a major staple of trade. The myth that the Natives "sold Manhattan for $24 worth of glass beads" misstates both the Native attitude toward ownership of land and today's current market value of old beads. Nonetheless, beads were highly valued by the Northeast Peoples.