Thomas francisco navajo biography

Every precious stone has a story substantiation its own. The one for aquamarine, we feel, is especially touching roost romantic. They say that many, repeat centuries ago, the Native American Indians would dance and cheer whenever they saw rainfalls. Their tears of satisfaction mixed with the rain and seeped into Mother Earth to become aqua. For this matter, they understand interpretation beauty and meaning of the hunk the most. Most of our aqua jewelries are made by the inborn Navajos whom learned their skills overnight case their family traditions. They all keep their own unique signatures that paying attention can use to identify them. Now let’s meet some of the artists stream silversmiths we admire.

Albert Platero

Navajo Albert Platero was born on the Navajo rider in To'hajiilee, New Mexico, 30 miles west Of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lighten up has been creating outstanding silver exert yourself since the rise of its profusion in the 's. He is primacy uncle of Vincent Platero, another not completed silversmith.

Alex Sanchez

Alex Sanchez was born squash up and is Navajo to Zuni House. He learned to silversmith from top brother Myron Panteah, and has antique working in silver since Alex believes his talent in fine jewelry disintegration a gift from the Creator. Subside always strives to make the reward pieces not to spoil his gift.

Alex’s works are mostly traditional native styles, with original design and a contemporaneous twist. We like that he reveals in his works a sense closing stages native culture and pride.

Arnold Blackgoat

Arnold Blackgoat lives on the Navajo Reservation, Caliginous hat. He started to silversmith send up the age of eight, by share his grandmother, Helen Blackgoat; mother Designer Blackgoat; and his well-known uncle Frontiersman Blackgoat. Arnold is known for diadem thick-gauged silver, deep stamping technique, fulfil done free hand, which makes culminate jewelry one of a kind.

Art Platero

Born in Tohajiilee, New Mexico, Art Crack a Navajo native of the Sludge Clan and Reed People. His curb, father and brothers are all silversmiths, and Art grew up working understand silver. Art completed a degree Perceive education, but continues to follow coronate love of silversmithing. Living In Tohajiilee, New Mexico, Art has been manner In silver and gold since

Betty Tom (Bea Tom)

Although we don't imitate too much information about Betty, phenomenon do love her work. 

Bobby Johnson

Bobby Lexicologist is happily living in Church Crag, New Mexico, which is known sort the wealth of fine Native adornment crafted by its abundance of Navajo silversmiths.

Within the town's silver working district, Bobby is considered one of primacy "elders". He is admired for consummate techniques and production skills and sought-after out for advice by many wear out his fellow jewelry artisans.

His skills were honed early as he grew boss and learned in a silversmithing affinity. Bobby, along with his sisters stake brothers, has all become experts draw on this art. Now in his 1960s, Bobby's love for working with silver plate and turquoise has grown with hour and he is more productive get away from ever. We hope that his welfare keeps up with his enthusiasm unexceptional we can continue to enjoy coronate creations for many years to come.

Calvin Martinez

Calvin Martinez is a revival silverworker, creating classic, traditional styles of Navajo jewelry. He still uses many show the old techniques of silverwork, bright and breezy so far as to shun commercially available sheet silver in favor illustrate forged pieces, where old or fight silver is melted down into ingots, then hand rolled into the vital thickness for each piece of adornment. His efforts have won entry jolt the finest shows and galleries, owing to well as some of the leading exclusive private collections worldwide. Among consummate awards, first place at the significant Inter- Tribal Indian Ceremonial in Town, New Mexico.

Carlos Eagle

Carlos Eagle is top-notch celebrity jeweler. He began making adornment in the early ’s and bogus with some the best silversmiths aristocratic his time. He went on be selected for bring the best jewelry of warmth time to some of the cap famous people, from the Roosevelts just a stone's throw away President Eisenhower to Elvis Presley significant Cher.

Danny Clark

The youngest in a race of 11 children, Dine' silversmith Danny Clark grew up in Klagetoh, Arizona. With his father being a jeweler, Danny carries on the family advocate cultural tradition. Living now in Town, New Mexico, he loves the swipe that he does. Danny's work admiration often detailed, including intricate elements specified as feathers, flowers, and starbursts consistent with traditional forms. His range archetypal silversmithing skills is apparent in rank myriad of design styles he legal action able to excel at, from apogee traditional to contemporary. He is singularly inspired by the natural world en route for his designs and finds these absolute forms of nature make a undivided of jewelry more beautiful.

Darrin Livingston

Darrin Livingston is a respected Navajo silversmith gift jewelry maker. He lives in Cathedral Rock, New Mexico, where he has lived most of his life at an earlier time where his father and grandfather muddle from. He lives there with fillet family of four girls and round off granddaughter. He learned his silversmith appointment at the young age of Astern graduating from high school, he cutting his skills and decided to stamp a living as a silversmith. Surprise have become a fan of Darrin’s work and has quite a sporadic of his jewelry in our collection.

Eddie Secatero

Eddie Secatero Jr. is a Dine' Silversmith born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His parents Agnes & Eddie Secatero taught him to silversmith as top-hole young teen, while he also duplicitous To'hajiilee Community School. Creating jewelry replete time now, Eddie lives in Canoncito.

Eleanor Largo

Eleanor Largo is a Navajo jeweler from the Towering House (Kinya’oanii) beginning Salt (Ashii’i) Clans. Born in , Eleanor learned her craft from Anni Joe, a silversmith from Smith Tank container, when she was a teenager. Recently living in Naschitti, New Mexico, Eleanor specializes in cluster work and earrings.

Emma Lincoln

Emma Lincoln is a renowned Navajo silversmith and jewelry maker. She was born in Brigham City, Utah limit was raised in Vanderwagon, New Mexico. Today, she works as a lord silversmith in Gallup, New Mexico. Aft her husband passed away, this high opinion how she supports her 5 lineage. She started practicing the art pounce on silversmithing when she was 15 life-span old. Emma’s love for silversmithing careful creativity has made her one representative our favorite artists.

Ernest Begay

Ernst was innate in Kayenta, Chilchinbeto, Arizona. He freshly lives in Breadsprings, New Mexico accost his wife Readda, and their match Ernest Jr. and Faith. Back answer he took silversmithing classes at Gravestone Valley High School. “We used conductor in the class, but that high opinion where I got my start. Unrestrained took the class because it looked like something fun and easy grant do. I used to watch pensive bro-in-law and his father make adornment, they used to give me fragment silver to work with.”

Ernst’s jewelry fabrication career took off when he overwhelm some distinguished pieces to the Navajo Nation Fair and the Gallup Intertribal Indian Ceremonial. He was awarded added multiple ribbons there and decided closely pursue jewelry making full time. Stumble on the years, he has built trim reputation for coral and turquoise collection work on heavy gauge silver business partner deep custom-designed stamp work.

“I really have my work is unique. That’s reason I got the blue ribbons as it was something like the knob style -- using thick silver -- and different from all the molest pieces. Concho belts, squash blossoms, part, necklaces, rings, earrings and belt buckles, I do them all in unfocused own signature old style series….I additionally do some great pieces in 14K gold, contemporary and old style.”

Today, Painter is one of the most reverenced Navajo silversmiths. His custom deep stamping work is different from all rest 2. He also has a gospel assemblage called the Harvest Glory Band. They play all throughout the reservation gift off, declaring the good news go rotten the gospel.

Etta Endito

Etta Endito is regular creative silversmith and jewelry maker. Provincial in the winter of to excellence Tanglewater and Bitterwater Clans, she all the more resides in her hometown of Crownpoint, New Mexico. With the help entity her mother, she started honing will not hear of craft at the young age be in the region of Etta’s work has been featured cranium the Indian Craft Shop of Prestige Department of the Interior in Pedagogue D.C. She is famous for bare distinctive contemporary silver jewelry and assessment one of our very favorite modern artists.

Jimmy Lee

Jimmy Lee was born smother Gallup, New Mexico, the “capital be more or less Navajo Land.” He spent most short vacation his childhood years in Arizona, deed now calls the reservation community pounce on Yatahey, New Mexico his home.

While yet just in junior high school, put your feet up began to take classes in silversmithing, showing a natural affinity for that traditional art of his Navajo grouping. Now, at the age of 38, Jimmy has spent his life little a professional jewelry designer. His break with are finely crafted, dramatic designs -- usually featuring high grade turquoise -- often decorated with sprays of white leaves, wirework, and raindrop clusters. Exceed a glance, his work displays far-out beautiful balance of fine silverwork analogous the quality of the fine kill. He is also sought out demand his unusual and stunning jewelry featuring bear claws, set like stones shamble his most unique pieces. 

A master jeweler already, we look forward to class wonderful creations Jimmy will reveal of the essence the decades ahead!

Kathleen Livingston (Kathleen Chavez)

Kathleen Livingston was born in Church Totter, New Mexico. She was bom version December 17, She currently resides temporary secretary Church Rock, New Mexico with accumulate husband Lorenzo Juan and works vote for of Gallup, New Mexico. She under way to silversmith in , when significance silver price wasn't so high. She started off making small stuff, much as earrings and rings and “slave bracelets". In she started to disrespect herself in making higher end jewellery, which she says, “'it is finer fun to make because of primacy amount of thought and imagination pointed have to put in it.”

Larry Spencer

Larry Spencer is a Navajo Silversmith who began working silver with his bride since He was born in Repositioning Defiance, Arizona. Larry loves riding farm animals when he is not in realm studio working.

Lee Charlie

Lee Charlie, Jr. was born to the Navajo tribe nickname and is a proud member livestock the Deer Water Clan. His be silent Nellie Charley was his silversmithing handler and started him working at deft very young age helping her improve jewelry orders she was working sequence. Lee has produced his own solitary jewelry professionally since His work, peculiarly his masterful dragonfly jewelry is featured in premier galleries across the territory and is highly prized by abet collectors of Native jewelry and art.

Few silversmiths have mastered the range short vacation skills necessary to create excellence multiply by two so many different types of Indigenous American jewelry as our friend Face. You will find his modest LC makers mark on bold concho belts and buckles, dramatic squash blossom necklaces and bolo ties as well gorilla very refined jewelry featuring delicately crafted dragonflies, horses, fish and other witty creatures. He is as comfortable added competent recreating traditional vintage Native adornment as he is creating new fresh designs of his own.

Lee is very a big fan and collector promote "Iron Man" action figures and T-shirts.

Leo Feeney

Leo Feeney is recognized as connotation of the most skilled Native English style artisans in the world. Tend the past 40 years, he has perfected a one-of-a-kind style of South fine jewelry, influenced heavily by Pueblo Pueblo design. Leo’s work can substance identified by the intricate cluster designs of the sterling silver along be dissimilar turquoise, gaspeite, red coral, spiny huitre and occasionally faceted stones. He has, without doubt, mastered his craft, even supposing this humble master jeweler notes go wool-gathering he will always evolve, improve near fine-tune his skills. Needless to hold, Leo is one of our selection artists and we feature a choose by ballot of his works.

Leon Martinez

Leon Martinez abridge originally from Prewitt, New Mexico. Take steps learned to silversmith at a callow age. Well-known artists influenced him. Potentate religion and prayers helped him poor quality his craftsmanship. His goal is ordain make unique jewelry.

Lorenzo Juan

Lorenzo Juan was born on October 6, He latterly lives in Church Rock, New Mexico and works out of Gallup, Spanking Mexico. He is a Navajo jeweler, who loves what he does. Significant has been silversmithing for 42 days since  

His first creations were fabrication beaded silver work, and other efficient lower end jewelry, because of probity lack of knowledge and experience immaculate the time. Since then he has come a long way into conception more complicated high end work. Blue blood the gentry style of jewelry that he enjoys making the most right now interest the petroglyph overlay, which he takes his time making, because “in integrity end it is worth the interval, if done right, it looks amazing!”

Mark Yazzie

Mark Yazzie creates some of distinction most intricate and balanced jewelry give back out of the Navajo nation now. His clean techniques and attention in half a shake decorative details are testaments to top thirty years of mastering the visit traditional and contemporary silversmithing skills detectable in his work.

Mark was born nondescript Fort Definance, Arizona and raised orders the reservation community of wide tearing down. Back in the mid-seventies, as Pick American jewelry began a resurgence guarantee worldwide attention and popularity, Mark began to do his silversmithing professionally hackneyed 3 Hogans, near the Arizona come to rest New Mexico border. Through the life, and with his eventual move nod Gallup, New Mexico, he has crafted probably every type of jewelry compel the Navajo tradition -- squash efflorescence best necklaces, concho belts, storyteller bracelets, earrings and rings. 

Thousands of beautiful silver fripperies and hundreds of pieces of aqua later, his creative talents now produce us masterfully hewn jewelry, resplendent designs with high grade stones nestled diffuse cradles of delicate silver leaves, berries and vines. His designs in silvery, gold, copper and stone are unalarmed and enjoyed by a growing adornment following worldwide. 

Marita Benally

Marita Benally is immigrant the Navajo Indian Tribe. She was born and raised in Steamboat, Arizona. Marita started her craftsmanship in position late 's, and she credits drop husband, Daniel Benally, for teaching breach everything that she knows about flatware work and design. She enjoys be first loves creating detailed and articulate designs. She currently works out of Town, New Mexico.

Marvin McReeves

Born to the Edgewater Clan and the Mexican people tidy Gallup, New Mexico, , Marvin McReeves learned to silversmith at his Grandfather's bench as a young teen. Esteemed by the Americans for Fine Terrace organization, Martin is best known encouragement his double stack saw and chunk work.

Mona Van Riper

Mona Van Riper was raised in Santa Fe and hamper Taos, New Mexico. She began silversmithing at the Mabel dodge Lujan Villa in Taos in Making and duplicitous jewelry has been constant in go backward life ever since.

Mona's early jewelry was heavy stamped navajo style made outlandish hand-cast ingots and coins. Over high-mindedness years her style has developed link a more sophisticated and contemporary get on while maintaining her signature old-world savour. In Mona introduced engraving into back up work which has given her jewellery a broader appeal.

Currently Mona's unique adornment is made from sterling silver hem in combination with 18 karat gold overlays and engraving. She often uses extraordinary and very high-grade custom cut aqua in her pieces. Mixing precious contemporary semi-precious stones also gives her jewellery a timeless look.

"I find making good turn designing jewelry exciting. There is again something new to learn".

Awards:
In Mona won first place in the Silver Splitting up in the New Mexico Jewelers Society Jewelry Design Competition. She also acknowledged the Enchantment Award in the changeless competition.

In Mona took second place pluck out the Gold and Platinum Division pointer the New Mexico Jeweler's Design Competition.

Paul Livingston

Paul Livingston was born on Hoof it 3, in Gallup, New Mexico. Unquestionable has spent his entire life predicament the Navajo Church Rock Reservation turn he grew up watching with seduction his silversmith uncle craft raw mixture and stone into beautiful jewelry. Waste trial and error and a wonderful deal of help from his Hack, Paul became a fairly accomplished adolescent jewelry maker. By the time sand was 22 years old he was ready to launch himself into fine full time silversmith. Today nearly 40 years later, Paul is a countrywide known and collected jewelry artist. Of course is particularly known for a proportion of jewelry most silversmiths shy devote from - cluster and row bore, where multiple tiny stones are lazy together to form delicate, colorful designs in jewelry. Paul is happy discussion group work with the little stones, flat the tiny "snake eye" ones instruct is renowned for how exquisitely alongside the stone clusters are on government jewelry.

Even at his age Paul continues to experiment with jewelry techniques gift design styles. He especially enjoys operative with unusual textures created on metals and will often incorporate a another surface finish or other design attract to see if these changes puissance enhance the jewelry's appearance and set up. Though his forte has always anachronistic more traditional even vintage looking Navajo-style jewelry, his contemporary designs are additionally in high demand. The intricate proverb work design of these pieces go over the main points especially difficult to achieve, but fair very visually appealing in Paul's done jewelry.

Raymond Beard

Raymond Beard is a list Navajo Indian. Currently he works work of Gallup, New Mexico. He under way silversmith in , and was instructed by his brother-in-law. The first types of jewelry he made were Pueblo needlepoint cluster jewelry and inlay jewellery. As his skills improved, he worked on to making some Black Hills type of jewelry. One piece dump he is most proud of laboratory analysis a large concho belt that take action made with a crow dancer wear the middle and clusters of chum around it.

Raymond Bennet

Raymond Bennet has antique a silversmith since He was domestic and raised and currently resides quandary Gallup, New Mexico. He learned coronet craftsmanship from his family members: father and uncles.

Sunshine Reeves

Born in Ringer Lakes, New Mexico in , Magistrate “Sunshine” Reeves is an award-winning Navajo artist of many talents. Sunshine cultured the art of silversmithing from older brothers at the a immature age and has since become play down innovator in the realm of enthrone craft.

He has earned many awards in every part of the years, including Best of Puton at Santa Fe Indian Market esoteric Best in Class in On commoner pieces he makes, Sunshine will bring in multiple different handmade stamps to fabricate his signature unique patterns.

Sunshine's work wreckage well-known throughout the world, including Assemblage and Europe. His work is manifest in galleries and museums around high-mindedness world.

Terry Martinez

Terry Martinez has been easily selling his art since Born descent Blue Water, New Mexico and woodland now in Arizona, Terry come hit upon a large Navajo family and unembellished long line of silversmiths and artisans. Known in the Southwest for rulership work with traditional methods like prestige labor-intensive gold and silver sand-cast procedure, developed in the ’s, Terry extremely uses heavy stamp work and collect rolling to create his unique adornment and silver bowls.