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Latest Piece!​​

Beaded Buckskin Moccasins
Acrylic on Metal

 

This new piece of art will be shown for the first time at the

The 52nd Annual Phippen Museum Western Art Show & Sale

May 23, 24 & 25, 2026

Prescott, Arizona

Booth #49

 

Native American moccasins were commonly worn by indigenous tribes throughout North America. These soft, slip-on shoes were made from brain tanned animal hides and were constructed using traditional techniques of intricate patterns of beading and quillwork. Beaded moccasins were far more than just footwear. They were wearable art that communicated tribal identity, a canvas for spiritual beliefs and vital markers of a person’s social status. Color choices, and specific techniques were often unique to individual tribes or clans, allowing people to immediately identify who a person was and where they came from. Elaborate beadwork required considerable time, skill, and valuable materials, like glass trade beads. Wearing highly detailed moccasins often indicated the wealth or high social standing of the wearer or the artisan who made them. They also had Spiritual Significance and a connection to the Earth. The symbols woven into the beads were not just decorative. Designs like the Morning Star, or spirit animals were meant to invoke spiritual protection.