With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
-Navajo Blessing Way Ceremony.

These are the closing lines from the Navajo Blessing Way Ceremony.

As I walked through the streets of Santa Fe, looking at so much beauty, so much lovingly crafted art, I kept hearing those words in my head.

The show was overwhelming, in the best of all possible ways.

Vessel by Amanda Lucario from Acoma Pueblo

There were eight hundred booths of juried, high quality art work created by native peoples from all across the country. This intricately patterned bowl by Amanda Lucario from Acoma Pueblo was one of hundreds of beautiful ceramic works. The painting on the bowl was mind-boggling.  Complex and precise. And the bowl itself was so finely made I was afraid to get too close! It exuded fragility.

I spent quite a while enjoying weavings by Alaska Tlingit artist Clarissa Rizal, including Tlingit regalia, Chilkat and Ravens tail robes and weavings, and button blanket robes. Clarissa was warm and generous with her expertise. She shared some of her experiences and challenges in the hand dyeing process. She also spoke of her efforts to unify southwestern and northwestern traditions in some of the blankets.Her  system for keeping the ends of her warp separated and clean was clever. Notice the baby socks dangling at the bottom of the loom!

My Raven Balancing Act in the window of True West Gallery just behind the Indian Market booths on Lincoln Avenue.

And of course it was wonderful to see my painting, Raven Conversation  in the window of True West Gallery just behind renowned Navaho potter Gloria Kahe’s booth.

True West Gallery is open daily, year round and has an abundance of beautiful Native American jewelry and art of all sorts.

Let me know if you’re in town and I’ll give you a tour!