The first art history class I took covered tribal arts. I loved everything about them - the Polynesian canoes and printed fabrics, the Maori jewelry and meeting houses, the Pacific Northwest Coast Native American totem poles and shamanic art, and the incredible pottery and jewelry of the descendants of the Anasazi.
The more I carve my animal charms, the more I think about the fabulous Navajo and Zuni animal fetishes. I have a turquoise bear fetish that I’ve owned for years - Navajo I think. So I found myself carving this little bear out of my most recent chunk of wax.
I’ve really been working to make these charms wonderfully intriguing and comforting to the touch. I love wearing pieces that are as fun to hold in your hand and run through your fingers as they are to look at.