Now I am getting more interested in curvilinear designs such as floral, Nez Perce floral, especially after being exposed to more things that come from our family. A lot of them were floral, and there was geometric as well, but the time period where a lot of these things came from were the time period where a lot of floral was coming into vogue around here. So this is one of my latest ones I have been working on. It is going to be kind of like a whole new outfit. It is just the beginning. One side of the cuff with floral designs that are really typical of the Cloud family and the Dixon family, especially this type of design right here. Again it is based on traditional, it is derived from a traditional source but it is altered. It is very much uniquely mine, my creation.

One art form or one creation or one medium kind of plays into another. It has really been an idea that I have really expounded upon because here in my piece I really rely heavily on colors that were first created in beads in 19th century beadwork that the Nez Perce were very widely known for. I use a lot of the color combinations that are reminiscent of beadwork, especially from our family. Again, I really get influenced by their color, their choice, their palate and the way natural tones are able to be combined with seemingly unnatural, and complex color combinations where you are juggling 5, 6, up to 9 colors and somehow it does not become a jumbled mess.

I think the color combinations of people here on the Plateau as well in other areas were very widely developed. I think a lot of credit has not really been given to that fact. I really try to stress in my work having that connection with the materials, with color and line and form. It is really important. In my work you will see things that are reminiscent of beadwork, corn husk work, parfleche painting, ‘isáaptakay and various other elements. I like to combine and try to make it a piece that speaks to each one of the diverse meanings that people used to work with and combine them in a new contemporary form that obviously this is. I think again it is just a continuation of what the people, the creativity of the people exhibited years upon years ago.

Again, I try to add that bit of creativity. The kind of choices that really make something stand out that our people were known for. For instance, the hair or various other things I substitute dark blue or cobalt blue as opposed to using black because black is almost seen as a disruptive color to a lot of the color combinations in terms of beadwork. It is found in certain forms but in the kind of color combinations I am interested in it is almost nonexistent. It is a lot more powerful that way and not as predictable I guess.

The typical floral designs and typical geometric designs that are from this area, it is kind of fun to play around with all the colors and shapes. Combining hard geometric shapes with real curvaceous floral, kind of arrangement type of things with animals, pictographs drawings and stuff. That is the kind of thing I like to do combine all kinds of contrasting shapes and colors, forms.