A long-time friend and always popular artist here at Four Winds, Shawn Bluejacket sat down with us during her recent visit to chat about her work.

 
What's one of the most challenging aspects of jewelry making? What are some of your favorites? 

The biggest challenge is to not make your work static and to keep it evolving.  Keep it flowing!  My favorite is when you get new inspiration.  When something is particularly inspiring, whether it's a stone, something you see in nature, that is probably the most exciting aspect.  Designing is probably my favorite.  

I was wondering if there were any stones you particularly love, because you have such a wonderful variety of stone choices in your work. 

Any kind of opals, the rarer the opal the better. And I really love chrysocolla druzy.

Do you have any sort of specific selection process, I know you have your husband at a (gem and mineral) show right now...

Usually my husband goes with me to shows; he's been going with me to these for so long that he does know what I like! He knows who I buy from. 

Really, the most important process part for me is being very detail oriented.  I draw my designs, and sometimes when I have a design I like, it may be a few weeks or a few months until I actually review it. This year I set a goal for myself: making myself design five new things a week -- just to keep things flowing.  That way I have a nice resource to see and go back to if there's something I haven't made. 

Five a week! 

I don't know where I came up with that! I've been doing this long enough that I don't want things to get boring, so I made that as a challenge and a goal that I put for myself this year.  It's exciting and challenging for me, and it reminds me how much I like designing these things! 

When you're designing, do you find yourself sticking to the original plans, or veering away from them? 

I think that you have to have flexibility.  I generally stick to the plan, but I'm not inflexible.  If I think something else would look better I'll change it.  Or sometimes when you're actually fabricating something and it doesn't work and you think, 'Oh, that actually doesn't look good with that.'  So I'll change or add...I'm flexible that way.  You have to be. 

All of your pieces work so well together -- that really shows. 

Thank you! Carol (Four Winds resident metalsmith) got it: she said to me, 'You must have been a doodler... because everything has such a flow.' I am!  I've done it since I was a child, drew for hours all my life. 

You were raised in New Zealand, studied in California, and now you live in North Carolina.  Has your international experience with people of so many different cultures given you a certain perspective on how you do things? 

Definitely. As a kid I was really exposed to a lot of Polynesian culture and a lot of Maori culture. So I think that's been an influence on my work. But then people that we knew were from all over the world.  I went to school with people from all different backgrounds.  Some people's parents had immigrated from Scotland, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Latvia. I do like to think of myself as a citizen of the world.  

I was interested in your thoughts on the relationship between Maori and European-originated culture in New Zealand in comparison with the representation of Native American culture here in the United States. 

The advantage I think in New Zealand, as a child there in the 70s, it was really cool that native culture was part of your education.  It was very integral.  I learned to poi dance as a kid.  It was very much part of the education, we had Maori songs.  I went to school with a lot of Maori kids.  The culture was very much incorporated.  The haka, the moko (tattoos on the face), that was just something you grew up around.  Then you come to the States and there's a lot less information about Native culture, that's kind of interesting. 

Finally, any particular jewelers or styles you really love? 

I find antique jewelry very inspirational, particularly Renaissance jewelry and pieces from the Byzantine era.  This is also this Italian jeweler named Verdura who produced amazing work in the 1930s and 40s that used seashells with diamonds that I just love.  I've just been realizing recently that I've been influenced by the Art Nouveau movement, and I've always loved Dadaism. I want my work to have a whimsical and ethereal quality -- not serious! 

It's hard not to fall in love with a vision like that! A special thank-you to Shawn Bluejacket for spending time with us; we have enjoyed learning more about what shapes her artistic process.  With her thoughtfulness about the people who wear her jewelry, it's no wonder Shawn has such an enthusiastic following! 

- Tom Jones, Ho-Chunk photographer, First American Art Magazine, p 28



Daunted by art history and theory? Fear not, a new publication has been created to help engage art enthusiasts of all backgrounds in Native American artists' experience and work.

First American Art Magazine will feature analysis of First Nations art from North and South America, allowing for inclusive dialogue in an accessible, reader friendly manner. 

In the initial discussions of creating First American Art magazine, editor America Meredith noted the growing number of Native artists not only creating vibrant work but in addition, curating shows and founding new cultural centers and museums.  A resource was needed to help those interested keep up with these changing developments in the Native American art world.  You can find more details on her blog.

According to their mission statement, the magazine founders are hoping to "discuss the human condition through the lens of Indigenous art" by inviting Native Americans to analyze not only Native made artwork, but their own experiences in relation to the mainstream art world.  They have invited contributions from academics and artists studying and working today.

First American Art Magazine will be dedicated to ensuring that artist are represented with a respect to their heritage, while allowing them to choose their own paths forward.  Each issue will feature interviews with artists, conducted by their peers also working in the art world.

The range of artists will be very inclusive, featuring those working in traditional artistic methods, as well as contemporary fashion couture, graphic design, mixed media, and digital art.  Reviews of exhibitions, books, and representations of Native communities will also be explored. 

Gallery friend and artist Teri Greeves interviewed Diné beadwork artist and fashion designer Orlando Dugi in the pilot issue on his career and inspiration.  She's done an exceptional job conveying his considered attention to detail and reverence for cultural tradition, and highlights the exciting trajectory of his career into the world of fashion couture. 

Navajo painter Nani Chacon is being featured in a new exhibit opening at the Navajo Nation Museum. Presented in conjunction with the zine Ziindi, Ch’ikééh Baa Hózhǫ opens February 15 and showcases the work of 15 contemporary female Native artists. This groundbreaking exhibition is particularly exciting for Nani because she has created the first mural installation in the history of the museum. Titled Against The Storm She Gathers Her Thoughts the painting depicts a young woman in a contemplative state interwoven with traditional Native American motifs. Nani was selected not only for her relevant subject matter, but also for her demonstrated skill in large scale painting. 

Nani's career began differently from most artists of previous generations. At the age of 16, she began her work as a graffiti artist. She notes that her experience working with composition and color on the streets gave her an advantage when she started her art school training. Her skills transferred well into oil paintings both large and small. 

Although Nani's work has been popular in underground circles for years, it is nice to see her unique vision finally being appreciated on a larger platform. Michelle Ponce and Damian Jim selected Nani's work for Issue 1.2 of Ziindi, the independent modern indigenous art zine.  Ponce notes, "She is a leader in the work that she does, and her message is very inspiring to us." Nani describes her own work as indicating the constant presence of the female form throughout subcultures and the mainstream. 

While the Navajo Nation Museum will be featuring paintings on a very large scale, we are also excited to have smaller works available for sale here at Four Winds. Limited edition Giclée prints, made with high quality digital ink, are a great way for a new collector to make their start into the art world!  


 










Using vibrant colors, Nani converts advertising tropes and retro pin-up images into a whole new context. Her subjects boldly confront the viewer's gaze and integrate the traditional Native imagery and modern influences that Nani describes as extremely important to her work.

 

We look forward to seeing what comes next for Nani in her promising artistic career!