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Mary Elizabeth Patton

These paintings have been done with great admiration and respect for the art and culture of the Native Americans. Mary Elizabeth has visited many tribes in the South West observing their traditional art of pottery making and their ritual dances and ceremonies. Her work reflects a fascination with the ancient Rock Art of petroglyphs and pictographs, as well as an overwhelming attraction to the sacred grounds of the Anasazi and their spiritual presence in the ruins prevalent in the area. What follows is but a sampling of Mary Elizabeth's work related to the South West. To discuss these pieces, or to inquire about other images related to the previously mentioned cultures, feel free to contact Mary Elizabeth directly.
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Looking down at the floor of the canyon where the Navajo people graze their sheep in the summer... This Church was built in 1629-1640 by Franciscan missionaries with the help of Acoma women and children who carried sand up from the valley in baskets...the timbers were hauled from 40 miles away... With petroglyphs on painting and frame
Canyon de Chelly San Esteban Mission Church Patch of Blue
18" X 24"  $800 20" X 24"  $800 16" X 24"  $700
oil painting oil painting oil painting


Petroglyphs are the most common form of rock art in North America....they are made by picking through the dark patinaor desert varnish to the original lighter color beneath. LittleDancer.jpg (32645 bytes) The patina or 'desert varnish' at this site is actually how it looked...the purplish blackish stain of hydrous iron and manganese oxides form these beautiful colors.
Petroglyphs of Chaco Canyon Little Dancer White House at 
Canyon de Chelly
$2500 18" X 24"  $700 $2500
oil painting oil painting oil painting


Waiting to perform in traditional dress... Warriors preparing for battle painted their faces, bodies and horses... some choosing colors and designs they had seen in a vision. The markings served to identify the individual during the fight or to indicate the warrior society to which he belonged. To honor a brave horse killed in battle, the owner would create a 'dance stick' with hair from the horse's mane. He would carry this stick in performances of the 'Sacred Horse Dance'.
Mother and Daughter The Lance Ceremonial Dance Stick
24" X 36"  $2200 36" X 48  $3500
oil painting oil painting oil painting

 

colors of the 'desert varnish' at Canyon de Chelley (with hidden figure) shadows at Taos, New Mexico the patterns and designs created by the patina and shadows in Canyon de Chelley
Sacred Canyon The Ladder Deserted Corral
24" x 30"$975 18" x 24"  $775 24" x 36"  $1200
oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas

 

seen on a trail at the rim of Canyon de Chelley Kokopelli was a mythical character with many interpretations... one is that he was a rain priest calling the clouds with his flute. He usually represents fertility... Symbols of him dating back 2000 years appear on rocks from South America to Canada. The pictograph in the background is from the Great Gallery... known as the 'Holy Ghost'... in Horseshow Canyon, Utah... c 2000 years old Waiting...
Twisted Juniper Kokopelli Waiting For The Dance
18" x 24"  $700 30" x 36" $1200 22" x 28"  $850
oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas


The tallest pueblo in the southwest is in New Mexico, and home to the very conservative Taos Indians The Hopi celebrate the summer solstice with a dance for rain to finish the growing season and send the spirit kachinas home. The dancer wears a headdress of wooden panels painted with fertility symbols (eagle feathers)... he shakes a gourd to evoke the sound of rain. at Taos, New Mexico
Pueblo de Taos Hemis Kachina The Oven
24" x 36"  $1250 24" x 48"  $1200 18" x 24"  $775
oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas

To purchase any of the above works, or to contact Mary Elizabeth regarding a commissioned portrait, please click here.

All images contained herein are copyright Mary Elizabeth Patton. Any reproduction, digital or otherwise is strictly prohibited without the expressed written consent of Mary Elizabeth Patton.