- Original Painting Available - Gallery Wrap 60 x 60
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 24 x 24
Native American & Western Paintings by Sharon Brening
Sharon takes off on journeys back to Navajo land, Hopi or to pueblos and villages in New Mexico with the encouragement of her own family. She has formed lasting friendships with many of the families whose children she paints portraits of; some of whose portraits she has painted over and over throughout the years. Each portrait sold helps compensate the family as well.
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Live Free or Die by Sharon Brening. I am creating a series depicting my love of USA and iconic symbols of American Freedom. Limited Edition Giclée are available. The bald eagle is the proud national bird symbol of the United States. These eagles’ mate for life, with incredibly unique rituals. The most famous and recognizable of these rituals is the "cartwheel courtship flight," in which two bald eagles will fly up high, lock talons and then get into a cartwheel spin as they fall toward the ground, breaking apart at the last minute. Nonbreeding bald eagles may engage in this behavior antagonistically, as a kind of ritualistic battle.
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The Rainmaker was created after spending a day at Angel Peak located in San Juan Badlands Canyon, New Mexico. It was quite a spiritual and reflective time as everything unfolded in perfect synchronicity. On our way to this destination for our photo shoot, we stopped and gathered Navajo tea, which Wylde is holding in his left hand. In his right hand he is raising his medicine to the creator and giving thanks. The medicine pouch contains sacred items. A personal medicine bag may contain objects that symbolize personal well-being and tribal identity. Traditionally, medicine bags are worn under the clothing. This is Wylde in his 11th year.
- Original Painting Available - Oil, Framed 60 x 30
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 30 x 60 | 24 x 48
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The southwest is full of wide-open beautiful space. This is the area around Shiprock, New Mexico, a hub for trading with local people. Many of the children I paint were born here at the Shiprock hospital. The people live so remotely and in such a vast area Shiprock seemed to be a central location. Skye Blue has been modeling me since she was an infant. In this painting she is with her sister Breezy Summer. Their outfits are made from elk hide, all hand fashioned by the grandmother and family. There is a blue-ribbon award on Skye’s dress. Breezy’s dress is now part of my Native dresses.
- Original Painting Available - Oil on linen | 30 x 40
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 30 x 40 | 16 x 29
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American Freedom by Sharon Brening. This oil painting is part of her Honoring America series. Limited Edition Giclée prints are available. The bald eagle, with its snowy feathered (not bald) head and white tail, is the proud national bird symbol of the United States. These majestic birds have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. The eagles can live up to 28 years and mate for life. More than 95 percent of bird species are monogamous, making them among the most loyal members of the animal kingdom. The Native Americans consider the bald eagle and the golden eagle to be sacred. As eagles are the highest-flying birds, they were seen to be nearer to the Creator. The meaning of the Eagle symbol was to signify courage, wisdom and strength and its purpose was as the messenger to the Creator.
- Original Painting Available - Gallery Wrap 20 x 60 x 1.5
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 20 x 60 | 15 x 45
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This is a painting from my Native American series. I started painting Native American children full time starting in 2001. This painting portrays Skye Blue and her little sister Luna Cloud. The love Skye has for her new sibling is so heartwarming. Luna is so intrigued with the turquoise pendant that is so traditional with the Navajo tribe.
- Original Painting Available - Oil, on linen 18 x 24
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John is one of our local Cave Creek cowboys. With a good horse and saddle he rides through brush and thicket gathering his cattle. I was fortunate one day while out riding to run across John and his wife Andy gathering cattle for an old-time branding.
- Original Painting Available - Oil, on linen canvas 16 x 20
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 16 x 20
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I started painting Skye when she was just and infant so I am thrilled that I can now introduce her younger sister Breezy to all my friends and collectors. Wild and Thunder are the brothers whom I also capture on canvas. The siblings are Diné (Navajo) with Mother’s clan being ‘Cliff Dwellers’ and Father’s clan being ‘Mud Clan’. Maternal Grandfather’s clan ‘Nooda’ which is Ute tribe and paternal Grandfather’s clan is ‘Chi’shii’ which is Chiriquaha Apache. In the painting, there is a pitch pot on the left side of Skye. This is almost a lost art; these bottles are made of, or sewed with sumac, willow, or other pliable twigs. A small loop of plaited horsehair is woven into the jar at either side. An awl is the only instrument used, and no particular care is taken to weave very closely, as the jar is rendered watertight by a covering of pinon gum over the complete inner and outer surface. On the opposite side of the canvas are ears of corn, a sacred plant in the Navajo perspective. It provides not only food, but it also plays an important role in prayer. Corn is used to make many dishes in the Navajo culture, and it is used as sacrifices and offerings in prayers or ceremonies. The pollens and husks of corn are used for blessing and offerings for prayer. It is so important that the Navajos believe that if you lie down in a corn field, you will become sick. Corn is believed to be their second mother. Corn is their eternal mother from birth to death. The most widely known use for corn is in the coming of age ceremony for girls, where a fire pit is lined with cornhusks and the fire is cooking a large corn cake. Both Skye and Breezy are wearing traditional Navajo clothing. The three-tiered skirts made of velveteen represent the three stages of a woman, infancy, womanhood and the elder years. The sashes are hand woven and worn under the silver Concho belts. Both girls are adorned with the squash blossom necklace, given to them in early childhood.
- Original Painting SOLD
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 30 x 40 | 24 x 32 | 18 x 24
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I was working and showing at the Arizona Fine Art Expo, a 12 week show in Scottsdale, Arizona. Scott Wallis and myself used our creativity to masterfully paint one of my native models. I started with my sketch and oil paints, passed the canvas over to Scott and he worked the background. We passed this canvas back and forth until it was finished. Scott is an impressionistic painter and I love the way we were able to marry our two distinctive styles. Breezy Summer is the model and one of the families I have visited every year since 2005. Breezy Summer is the model and one of the families I have visited every year for about 14 years.
- Original Painting SOLD
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 40 x 30
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A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. Life’s discovery consists of not seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes, eyes like a child. I am so pleased to introduce all four of these Native American children in one painting. I have been painting these children since 2005. Skye Blue, Thunder, Wylde and Breezy Summer. They are Diné (Navajo) with Mother’s clan being ‘Cliff Dwellers’ and Father’s clan being ‘Mud Clan’. Maternal Grandfather’s clan ‘Nooda’ which is Ute tribe and paternal Grandfather’s clan is ‘Chi’shii’ which is Chiriquaha Apache. These amazing outfits are all hand sewn and stitched by their Grandparents and Great Grandmother too! It took the family 18 months to craft these beautiful, elk hide outfit. The dresses and shirts are embellished with abalone shells for the girls, hammered silver for the boys. All with horsehair tassels that are the center of attention on the outfits. They are beaded with glass beads and cedar berries. The Navajo call these dried cedar berry beads Ghost Beads. The cedar berries are collected after ants have found the berries on the ground, nibbled off one end eaten the inside of the berry. The berries can be lightly smoked to further preserve them. The artisan then makes holes in the other end and the dried berries. The beads are strung in accordance with the harmony of nature. Cedar beads represent an interconnection of the earth, trees, animals and humans and they bring peace, harmony and safety to the wearer. They are a southwest tradition to protect one from evil spirits, ghosts and nightmares. The children are fascinated with this little creature that Skye is holding. The hedgehog got its name because of its peculiar foraging habits. They root through hedges and other undergrowth in search of their favorite food – small creatures such as insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes. As it moves through the hedges it emits pig-like grunts — thus, the name hedgehog. It symbolizes energy, defensiveness, defense, protection, fertility, intuition, psychic abilities, visions, vitality, protection, intelligence, resourcefulness, uniqueness, perception, calmness, curiosity, inner wisdom, resistance, endurance, etc. Hedgehogs are positive animals that symbolize happiness, motherhood, and calmness. They are loved by people because of their relaxed and non-aggressive behavior. Overall, hedgehogs are simply calm and relaxed creatures that symbolize everything that is positive in the world.
- Original Painting SOLD
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 32 x 40 | 24 x 30
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The painting is of adorable little Breezy Summer. For any of you that are familiar with my artwork of Native American children, she is Skye, Wylde and Thunder’s little sister. Little Miss Breezy is a delightful whole 3 years of age in this painting. Breezy’s family resides in northern New Mexico. The buckskin dress she is wearing is handmade and beaded by Elana Pate. It is intricately beaded with turtles as the cradle board and doll also. Breezy’s Mother has been teaching all her children at an early age that all God’s creatures must be respected because “we are all related.” Breezy is captivated with Mr. Turtle. . . Are You My Brother Too?
- Original Painting SOLD
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 30 x 20 | 24 x 16
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This blue-eyed cowboy is a fellow artist and friend. Craig is a fabulous bronze sculptor. His chaps and tack were crafted by another friend, Carson, a 4th generation saddle maker who resides in Wyoming. The western cowboy still lives on. His gear can be a rich tapestry of his or her own making. The style of his boots and chaps to his hat. Even the way he wears and knots his wild rag or kerchief. Big spurs, small spurs, lots of silver Conchos, its endless. Much of the style dress and many of the terms used in reference to cowboys, horses, their tack, and the things they do are regional. Many of the words are derived from the Spanish Conquistadors who brought the first horses to America. The gun and holster are still important objects to have while riding in our Arizona territory.
- Original Painting SOLD
- Limited Edition Giclée Prints - 24 x 24 | 18 x 18
