This was the beginning of " myth-maker ", or oral tradition story-telling for me. Of course, I had heard many stories before this surprising story of my birth was told to me by my father’s mother, my grandmother Maggie. The upper Two Medicine Lake is a special place for the Blackfeet people. It was a sacred location for a double Sun Dance, that is there were two Sun Dances held there during the summer at the same time at the turn of the 20^th century. (Which reminds me. Will 20^th Century Fox change its logo to 21^st Century Fox ? If so, when ? Just wondering..)

     The story of my becoming an artist is actually a very short story. I was handed a box of coloring crayolas and brown paper shopping bags and told to color and be quiet one snowy night before X-mas. Working with primary colors since the beginning of any formal education is perhaps the child in almost all of us. I say almost cuz’ I met a woman who was never allowed to color with crayolas all her childhood. We did an experiment once and she colored with crayolas for hours. Drawing anything and everything, fish, cars, TV’s, people with no ears, trees, flowers, the sun, her children playing with lions etc.. Great stuff, fun stuff…

     Eventually I went on to formal training as an artist. I say artist cuz’ I never knew what it meant NOT to be an artist. I made art and I continue to make art. I think the Creator has a special corner of the Spirit World for creative folks ; a corner for artists, a corner for musicians, maybe a corner for politicians ( ?) and all other fine folks. I hope to meet some of the greats and of course not so greats. We will all color together. Cool. Van Gogh already had a head start, I think ! !

Formal education : in a sentence :

     My formal ed. taught me how to break what was considered " bad habits " or " bad techniques ". Today I have returned to those same bad habits and bad techniques ! If a horse runs fast, it can run faster but at some point it can’t outrun itself. Creating art is like teaching a bird to fly….I paint and create for the love of it. Like Michael Jordan : " for the love of the game – basketball ! "

     Two good qualities came from my formal years, 1970’s-1980’s, 1990’s….

• In my art ed. was a realism quality on a solid foundation for hand and eye coordination.

• At the School of the Art Institute in Chicago I was given complete freedom, a blank canvas to do whatever I wanted. This can be intimidating if you are always told what to do (lessons…)

Reality :

     SkyHawk was trained to be an artist

Perception :

     SkyHawk was trained to be a basketball player. It was his good fortune to have a 6’8’’ co-basketball player friend - too high-strung on heroin to continue the " game " we both loved – tell me : " Sky, my man ! The game is only temporary – you have your art . That will outlast the both of us ! Go make art, my man ! My friend ! " Slim was a big man who could take you and your crew to the hole in style. He, my friend Slim, died of a drug overdose. Whenever I paint or sculpt, or even play my harmonica, I thank my friend, my bro’ for kind of kicking my butt in the right direction of the art world.

     [ " Slim " remains anonymous, but anybody who knows me knows him and anyone like him. My love, my man !]

     The 80’s went something like a train out of control so I am told. Of course, I was there. Like most past stories with such concentrated dialogue regarding art and art history and cheap beer and even cheaper wine – mostly red – it is easy to forget the details. The impression I had of the rock and roll- kiss-my-punk-ass music days in art was that of galleries in any state’s city " making star artists ". The art was nowhere as important as the artist who was making the art. Now, this period has committed its mass suicides and left garbage to be force auctioned to the quick art educated with money to burn who don’t know shit about art except " what they like " and who will buy anything and everything that their friend’s friend is trying to bid higher for. Thus, the people who are buying art are not buying art but throwing their money at the idea of buying art and the artists, if the artists happen to be alive ; if dead, double or triple the price.

Paraphrasing Larry Rivers :

"  You know you have arrived on the art scene if you are invited to a party in your honor and you are allowed to talk to the guests ! "

     It is a great honor to arrive at a party in your honor. For example : 1985, an Indian in a tux with long hair and patent leather shoes that are too tight and too damn shiny- like the red shoes from the wicked witch in the " Wizard of Oz ", except in black. There are folks with millions of dollars but I am not allowed to talk to the guests.

Art influences and inspirations :

     There is a damn long list of artists and /or both teachers who have allowed me to be a part of their lesson plan, or part of their kicking and goading me to be my best at whatever I do. A tribute /hommage to all is my continued life as an " artist " and my continuation to inspire others.