"Traditional Dancer"

                                                                                                                                                                      Here is my completed powwow-dancer, a Traditional style dancer. Most carvings I see of Native Americans always have a stoic expression, so I wanted to try something with a smile, an expression of happiness. Dancing has a spiritual aspect but also is a lot of fun for spectators and the dancers. The costumes, the various styles, the movements, and sounds all seemed fascinating as a subject for a carving. I hope I have captured some of the spirit and pageantry of the dance.

He stands 13 inches tall and about 7 inches wide and is carved from basswood. He is decorated with acrylic paint, brass nails, wire brads, and various separately carved attachments and feathers. You can find additional pictures here: https://picasaweb.google.com/mpounders1/TraditionalDancer#

Pretty much every technique in carving, painting, and decoration on this carving is something that I learned from Lynn Doughty. Some of the beading is based on several of his recent Native American carvings and even the base is based on his methods. I hope I have shown some measure of originality, but there is no escaping the influence Lynn has had on many carvers by generously sharing his methods and thoughts on design. Thanks for looking!