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This is the 3rd image, Good Spirits III, which is part of a triptych I created. Each piece was printed and framed separately then hung together.
The whimsy bird, a central image in this section, is a beaded pincushion often used as an ornament. “More than a century ago, ladies who traveled to the Saratoga Race Course or across the state to Niagara Falls would pick up mementos. At tourist sites, Native American women would be waiting for such travelers and sell them exquisite handmade beadwork items: pin cushions, boxes, purses, picture frames and bird ornaments; objects that were perfectly suited to the ornately decorated Victorian home.” –credit
I’ve added the strawberry (read more about that here) and contrasted/compared it to a heart. You can read Gerry Biron’s interpretation of the heart symbol which was common in raised beadwork here. My interpretation and use of the heart was more organic in that the shapes were quite similar. I also felt that the heart, a symbol of life itself, was integral to what I was creating and my love for beadwork, cultural symbols, traditions, and our living culture.
The circle patterns represent beadwork (more on that here). The top portion shows a geometric beaded strawberry pattern. Once again, the protective spirits are there as well. The central white flower is found on the strawberry plant, mostly white and grows in small clusters on thin stems.
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