Although Colorado isn’t technically the Southwest, it holds a lot of similarities to those states. There are cowboys, open land, desert climates, cattle, horses, wild terrain, Native Americans and a whole host of other parallels that bring to mind olden days of cowboys riding in to rough towns, driving cattle across the desert, buffalo grazing on plains and native people surviving and thriving in great number.
The picture I am painting comes to life in art each year during the Colorado Indian Market and Southwest Art Show. Usually held at the Denver Mart, the art show has moved slightly south to the Event Center in Colorado Springs for the first time this year where 130 or so painters, metal workers, musicians, jewelers, potters, weavers, photographers and other artists came for a long weekend to sell their wares. Not only art, but the weekend was full of performances from Eagle Dancer Larry Yazzie, Fabian Fontanelle, singer-songwriter Syd Masters, Red Feather Woman, and the band Injunuity . A full sized teepee was set up for attendees to explore authentic Native American life, live birds of prey were on display, and food, including Navajo fry bread, was enjoyed by those attending.
