Summer Studies

 Well, i had a busy summer! I went to the Florida keys and got super inspired! I came home after two weeks just psyched to paint again! I decided to do some small studies of Buffalo in oil.

 I have a very dear friend that had one daughter name Angelica. Angelicas mom is Canadian born, but Angelica was born in the US. (apparently i love Canadians and Canadian contemporary artists tend to be favorites haha but this is sheer coincidence.)

Angelica was born on the same day as the White Buffalo known as "Miracle" there is a sacred story about the white buffalo from Indigenous American history. I will not do it justice to tell you about it, but it is worth a trip to your favorite online search engine.

 Angelica is half American Indian, US side, her dad comes from the Rez. 

While i am only 9 percent Indigenous, i feel connected to the past somehow but i know that I can't claim the birthright outright.  I do love to capture the feeling of these beautiful things that i don't understand...

Also, now that i got off topic a bit...This woman and her beautiful daughter are so important to me, and my life and have had such a healing impact to my spirit. Angelicas mom has helped me fight for my faith and strength in God that has saved my very life. I know that i wouldn't be the same without them. I can't imagine.

So, when I was relayed the story just at the start of summer I was already thinking about buffalo as a subject. But the significance of them and the story of the White Buffalo Woman really resonated. I did two very quick bust studies of the buffalo. I learned quickly that buffalo are very distinctive in appearance and personality. Each one is amazingly unique. Some look as if they have the wisdoms of the aeons...some are immaturely brustish looking as if they are still wild and bull headed (no puns intended) sorta like ...teenagers...male teenagers haha

They're AMAZING creatures.

I will do my next two study's of full anatomy. They're anatomy seems impossible, with giant barrel chests and tiny legs that are still somehow so powerful. It makes me remember that God has this design and sometimes if it seems to mundane ... Well, there's a field animal that changes it all up, eh? (Or maybe i should write - 'aye?')

So i am super pumped to add these guys to the portfolio alongside my Eagle. He's a whole other story though...I'll have to blog about him sometime.