Beads and The Rainbird

This has been moving slowly, as I have other projects going at the same time (don't we all?). Anyway, I had ordered several books for research into the Pueblo pottery when Anne Stradal sent me the Mimbres ornaments I had requested. I had absolutely no idea of the history of this pottery, or even of the diversity in the various pueblos of the southwest, but had loved the look of it since childhood when we used to spend part of summers in Santa Fe. (it was a village back then - complete with La Fonda and Indian Joe on the porch). My eyes have been opened! I now understand the little graphic motifs on Anne's, and also am able to identify "Rainbird" motifs on various pots I see - where there is no identifiable bird.

This one is a canvas I found on the Sundance Designs web page, (see that here) but since they are wholesale only, I called The Busy Needle, which is also in Tucson, to send it to me, along with some suitable beads (also from Sundance). These ladies are remarkable, incidentally, as I had the canvas and beads in hand in about two days.
I'm showing another canvas which is also a Rainbird by E.T.A., and produced and distributed by Sundance. The pot is one I found in a gallery of old ones, and I am delighted to say that I now recognize a "rainbird." I have leaned more toward the Acoma pots for my own design, but in adapting any work of art to needlepoint canvas, it certainly makes it come alive if one does a bit of study - and also learns which elements are the most important.

These Pueblo pottery designs are so classic and graphic, they would fit well into almost any decor - and certainly shouldn't be limited to "southwest." I find them quite elegant!! As for using beads on a pottery design, this one really couldn't take fancy fibers and decorative stitches, but needed a bit of zing - so of course I chose beads. They are not the sparkly kind, so don't really distract.