Quiet Santuary, Not Yet

I move into the tepee while continuing to make adjustments, additions and learning as I go along. I prepare to spend my first night in my new summer home.

The door and the stakes still need adjustments.

After measuring the interior I made an ozan. This is a partial ceiling that sends the rain behind the liner. I really had to wing it here as I had very little info and no instructions, but it works.



This is the bottom of the ozan where it meets the liner. It had just stopped raining and you can see the drips down the back of the liner. Note the pockets I put in the liner.
This is a double bed and a twin cot. You can get some idea of how spacious the 18' tepee really is.

The pups are right at home. Tonka is sure getting big.

As evening fell I started a nice little fire in the fire pit. The tepee glowed up on the hill that night. The roundness and the night sky though the poles had such a cozy and nurturing feel. Sounds of the crackling fire filled the air. It lit up the whole tepee. There was no need for candles. I went to sleep as the fire died down.

Early the next morning I woke to the sound of voices followed by an explosion.

I didn't panic but I was irritated. It was the seismic testing that was going on in the pasture. I thought they had finished, but no. I had strategically placed the tepee to get quiet and morning shade. However the oil company has strategically placed the dynamite on one side and the gas pipeline on the other. It'll settle down soon but oh the irony of it all.

Star Horse painting

Star Horse
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This contemporary spirit horse flies across an aqua and turquoise sky complete with copper stars in this lovely original painting. Another in the Spirit Horse series this art glimmers with metallic copper against a delicious chocolate brown.

Will arrive ready to hang on your wall or suitable for sitting on a shelf, desk or anywhere.


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Putting Up the Tepee part 2

Dreams Of Flying

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The decision had been made and the wind had started picking up. We had the tepee down in minutes. After more careful measurements for the tripod and where to place the ties the tripod goes back up. With all the men folk that had wandered in all the poles were in place very quickly. It was already looking better.

Bundling the tepee to the riser pole.

Tying off the rope.



The riser pole goes back up. We untie it and stretch it around the poles. After lacing it up it looks amazing! I am so thankful to my friends and family for all their help.



And here it is up on the hill.
All in all it took me more time to figure out how to put that "Buy Now" button on my blog than to raise the tepee. So y'all use and stay tuned for more of the saga and photos of the interior.

Putting Up the Teepee part 1

Whispers

$55

8"x10" mixed media collage on wood panel

Shipping $8 in US or Canada

Please contact me for international shipping rates.

Putting up the tepee was a comedy/drama as expected. The day was windy with dark clouds and sprinkles of rain. We started out with a crew of three people and three dogs. The horses were in the corral watching. The dogs were providing plenty of help and entertainment.

I had carefully measured and marked the position of the tripod with pink flags. We tied the three poles together and attached the rope the would be wrapped around all the poles. The tripod is laid close to the marks. We prepare to lift the tripod and see Tonka running off with a pink flag in his mouth. The north mark is lost. I read off the wrong number to remark it and put a rock there.

The guilty party.

We lift the tripod using the long rope and the poles and rotate it into position. It is surprisingly easy considering the poles are 22' long.



Eleven more poles are laid in with the rope wrapped around each time. The last pole is the riser pole. We spread the tepee on the ground inside up and lay the riser pole on top. It is then bundled and tied with the smoke flap ropes. This pole was allot heavier but by this time we had more help. The tepee was untied and stretched around the poles. Using the wood lacing pins and a ladder the front was laced together.




It looks wrong. We work at adjusting the poles and pulling the canvas down to get out the wrinkles. We can't get them out of the top. We have three more people and one more dog come to help.

At this point I'm worried that there may be more wrong than just the pole placement. I'm thinking it may be the tepee itself. I made it from canvas on my grandmother treadle sewing machine. I had instructions but......

We decide to take it down and try again.

Stay tuned for part 2.

Painting My Tepee

I have spent the last week painting my tepee. It has been a huge undertaking. I had no idea it would take so much time and paint. It was tricky finding a dry enough time and a poop-free zone to spread it out. Gosh it looks huge. See the tiny little horses. I used a tent stake, string and a charcoal pencil to draw the circular bands on the tipi. I had to work quickly before the chickens came to help with the decoration.

Back in the studio I had more helpers. I spread a section on my table and painted it using watered down Golden Liquid Acrylics. When I painted the liner I could use painters tape on the straight edges, but this was all at so much of a curve I free handed it. The top section is a gold ochre followed by suns which are traditional for Kiowa tepee's. I used a stamp for this I bought on clearance. The next small band is metallic copper.

Then there are the hummingbirds, lots and lots of them. My Indian name is Little Hummingbird.

The blue row is phases of the moon. The bottom row is wolf tracks. In between will go the horses which will be 3'x4'. I will do them after the tepee is up.

The poles are 24' long and there are 17 of them. I am still working on sanding and sealing them in between spring rains.

The plan is to have it up by mid April. I am so excited!

White Flight

We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting.

Kahlil Gibran

White dragonfly soars across a neutral grey textured background.

One inch deep gallery wrap canvas 6”x6” painted deep gray, ready to hang or set on a shelf. Finished with protective gloss varnish and signed in the lower left.

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