Carved Elk Antler Claw Necklace

This piece will belong in my personal collection after the long process of construction. The extinction of the Plains Grizzly the Plains Indian searched out different means of this mighty beast. I have read several ways to bend elk antler, one with urine and the other with white vinegar. I chose not to pee in a bucket and make the wife mad lol. Sections of antler mainbeam cut ,soaked, and trimmed to bend, then dried makes up a unusual necklace. Many hours go into this piece and I honor the Plains Indian lore of creating such works of art. But I still have to otter wrap the core to finish this Awesome piece...

Crow Knife Case

Here is a Crow Style knife case that I constructed.of all the plains Indian tribes Crow designs are by far the hardest to replicate...

Elk Antler Horse Quirt

Made from an spike elk antler, beaded braintan wrist strap, braided rawhide whip and some Plains Indian flare I have a good lookin piece.

Wooden Whistle

Let me tell you I have made a lot of Plains Indian Regalia and the most difficult are whistles and flutes. For this whistle I split and carved out the middle of a chokecherry branch then cut and slotted the proper pith (this was the hardest). I then painted with green earth pigment and added real wrapped sinew and died red horse hair. I also split an otter fur strap and attach 2 repro eagle claws. It really turned out like a used ceremonial piece.

Antelope Horn Containers

I have seen a similar original example here in Wyoming before. I constructed these to have a braintan slip cover with a simple tie at the top. I have wanted to do the same with a Bighorn Sheep also, but they cost a lil bit.

Eagle Claw Necklace (repro)

I have a rope braided buffalo hair necklace with large repro eagle claws. I had this piece of buffalo rope that a friend had made years ago. And having a selection of repro claws I had beaded them then attached them to the rope. The necklace has a simplicity but also has a claw grabbing fierceness also.

Crow Style Parfleches

These are two small parfleches that I painted in the Crow style. Its unique to study different styles of abstract parfleche paintings. Different tribal patterns are very distinctive between the Plains Indians and the Crow style is very ornate with large triangles but very complicated to reproduce.

Parfleche-Crosshattch Pattern

I have here a simple elkhide parfleche that I had made early this fall. I strive to make historic reproductions with the attention to detail. This piece I used a different technique, I did a crosshatch pattern. Some examples of original Sioux parfleches use the cross hatch pattern. I think it turned out awesome and plan to use this style more in the future.

Brass Trade Bucket Engraved Disc

Here is an Awesome project that a few friends started and I finished. What I have is the bottom of a stamped brass trade bucket,which has been cut down for a necklace. This all started with my friends from Laramie Wyoming silversmith Dave Gilpin and Roy Martin an authority of Plains Indian Lore. Dave cut out the disc and rocker engraved it for me then Roy added some clam shell hairpipe the real stuff. I just happened to have a few more hairpipes and a few blue beads. I finished off the necklace with dyed red deer tail hair and some hand rolled tin cones. Its very cool for me to create from original period items and this will belong in my personal collection, and a thanks for my friends whom collaborated on this with me..

Sold Pieces

Here I have a stretched ear scalp, bird fetish and a rawhide horse cut out. The ear scalp is my rendition I have only ever seen one before. The original was a whole scalp, forehead, hair and ears stretched on a hoop with a willow stick going from ear to ear. A gruesome piece of Plains Indian warfare.

Beaded Bird Fetish & Parfleche Knife Case

When I take photos of my work a do a collage affect. My bird fetish is a replica of a crow and then tightly beaded with greasy yellow beads. Another parfleche knife case painted in the Sioux style. Also I have moose palm tacked cutting board.

Pirate Flag

I made this for a friend out in California aka Pirate Mark, he returns to Wyoming every fall and we hang out at the Ft Bridger Rendezvous. He wanted a flag so I painted him one. I was not wanting the traditional black and white so I took a huge sharpie pen then acrylic paint. It turned out like a tie-died hippie looking thing needless to say Pirate Mark carries it with pride..

Crow Knife Sheath

Cute and ready for a good home....

Siamese Heads

When you thought you seen it all, ha ha ha, I can make some weird stuff. Yes
I created this from my Crimson Plains Collection at least that what I call it. I started making life-like fingers, ears, hands, and all else. Rubber Latex, oil base clay and plaster anything can be made. I have made 4 of these siamese heads two of them hang in tattoo shops here in the US. Folks say I should work for the movoe set CSI as there prop maker.

Grizz BearJaw Dagger & Elk Antler Hammer

I have two pieces in this photo a Dagger and Hammer. The elk antler hammer is the scrap left over from my elk horn claw necklace. I took a horn that was attached to the skull plate and cut it thicker to absorb the blows of a hammer, then attached a beaded strap and antiqued. Now my Jaw Dagger is a cast from a real grizzly jaw that I made and set with a lead ferule and then hand painted. With the laws of animal parts in each state different my Daggers are all legal and are hard to tell appart from the real thing.

Incised Parfleche Sun Visor

Last winter I sat down and drew out a pattern for a shade hat. I have made one years ago when I was 13 or 14 years old. I had some thick rawhide and but I wanted to create an early style incised piece. With paint and a Dremel (ya I cheated) I whipped this out. The rosettes were an afterthought from another project that looked cool for this piece.

Deer Dew Toe Bag and Horn

Living here in Wyoming I have had many chances to take muledeer with my traditional muzzleloader. And from each deer I have taken I make a new bag. Here is one that created. I wanted to keep it plain and simple. Now for tradition to carry on I now have to make one for my boy whom has killed his first bull elk at the tender age of twelve. Many bags are in his future...

Recycled/Salvaged Beadwork

With my studies of Plains Indian Lore I have seen a lot of items that have been salvaged. This piece I made to resemble a piece from a beaded moccasin. Beaded on braintan then I stitched it to a parfleche scrap and made a neck piece out of it. I then took a metal trade point and created broken arrow knife to slide inside. Its my recycled/salvaged piece.

Plains Style Hand Mirror

This here is a Plains Indian Mirror, I constructed it from a pallet plank cut, filed and sanded. The mirror is inset green/red earth pigment painted and a beaded medicine ball. Its a cute piece that really like.

Horn Items

Here is a batch or horn, spoons, powderhorns, antelope horn cases, arrow shaft straiteners. Horn is an awesome to scrape,sand then polish. Buffalo, bighorn sheep and antelope horn I have worked them all from a rough flaky to a shine. Buffalo horn is so easy to work with when compared to antelope horn. Prairie goat horn is made up of prickly hair matted together. You can polish all you want but spines kick out, so i burned them and it works somewhat. Anyways most of the powderhorns have been sold but I plan to finish the spoons with beadwork and tin cones this winter.

Eagles Fly

Another of my doodles, I was asked by the local Fraternal Order of Eagles to help with there parade float. The theme was an outdoor theme so I created a huge eagle on masonite painted white then I used a huge permanent sharpie pen. I wanted to add color but I didnt have much time to add color. Our float received a second place ribbon pretty good I thought.

Charcoal Bear Drawing

I am adding additional works of art that I do, and its a lot of unique stuff. Here is a charcoal drawing that I did for a elementary school fundraiser. I have hunted black bears and have a huge heart of respect for them. I have sat in a tree many evenings with a good friend freezing our toes and limbs off waiting to get a glance of this awesome animal. They come in slow they come in fast you never know, but its awesome to catch a glance through the trees a king of the forest working the air sometimes for hours. I love doing charcoal on gessode masonite its a touchy medium you cant erase anything. The paint brush ridges are fun to play the charcoal with, but its like hunting bear sometimes it works and sometimes it looks like a fresh pile of scat...

Barbed Wire Art

Here is another side of my work, prickly wire and antler. I had seen in a magazine some folks makin these balls. Well I set out to make one and then another and a few more, well then the antler idea came to me as all great thinkers have a 3am. Ya at the we hour is when all my creativity starts and my day drag at my real job. They are fun to make but you have to watch every minute our you will get poked or scratched.

Perfect Match

I havent posted anything but my own stuff till now, an original Sorby knife with my brothers sheath. Never have I ever been able to touch a Sorby Trade Dagger and a fella came up to us and wanted to match a case for his knife. My brother Spotted Legs does some really nice quillwork and this knife matched up sized and all to a case he made. We all three were amazed of how they fit together.

Two Hot Chicks at my trade blanket !!

What do you get at a Rendezvous that is open to the public ?? its easy to see in this photo. These two ladies were all into my buffalo head headdress and I snapped a photo while they were passing my buffalo between them. Always a good time with my buffalo heads.

Parfleche Sewing Bag

In early August I dehaired 5 elk and 6 deer and I had time to make a few of these before Fort Bridger Rendezvous. For this particular piece I searched for a simple Sioux style design. I also made me one and put all my primitive sewing supplys into it.

Whiskey Jug with a Battle Trophy

This fall I caught up to one of my creations. I like seeing what folks do with my artistic pieces and this is one of them. Here is a fire water jug with a battle trophy attached and yes a silver ring finger shield. Its always a pleasure to view my work in the hands of another.

Plains Indian Shields

I have been lackin on my posts here. These are two shields that I had made, The red shield is a design taken from a pectroglyph carving found near the Wind River Indian Reservation here in Wyoming. I have always admired rock carvings and felt a spiritural connection to them. The head wheel and the hand rolled tin cones make for a loud jingle not intended for sneaking up on an enemy. The green painted bear paw is my favorite. I took the pattern from an original that is a German collection, my twist was to add the half moon at the top to indicate more towards the Cheyenne/Arapaho tribes. A few replica bear claws an a bear ear make for a neat composition.