Indian School 8 x 10

This piece is part of my Arizona collection which I created while living in Phoenix for a summer. I was so inspired by the new color palette of the landscape there and the strange and beautiful plantlife. I experimented with different materials to create my own technique which combines pastel brushed with alcohol, bold pastel pencil outlines, and ink. I really like the interesting textures created by combining the wet and dry media. I painted this piece after a visit to the Heard Gallery of Art in Phoenix, AZ where I was deeply moved by the horrific stories of Native American forced assimilation. Here I've depicted a Native American man forced to cut his hair (considered his connection to Great Spirit) and become a soldier. Behind him, his grandmother watches over him. The details of her face are gone. He must forget the ways of his past and do what he has to do in order to survive.
 
Mixed Media: Pastel, Pastel Pencil & Ink on Paper
Paper: 12.75" x 9.75"
Artwork: 8" x 10"
This artwork is sold unframed.