I learned my art form as a little girl growing up watching my parents. My dad is a wood carver, he makes kachinas and my mom is a painter.

My dad told me that in creating art I would have to speak to people and tell them what my pieces are about. Each piece I create has its own story. As I create my art the story comes from within my heart, my mind, and what I see. As the stories play in my head, the designs, colors, and images emerge, insects, animals, the sky, the stars, the water, the rocks, anything in mother earth and out of mother earth. 

The story that I create is not for me, it’s for that person I’m supposed to meet. 

As I grew up all of my family members were artists. My family gave me knowledge and ideas about my stories and these are part of the stories I create in my jewelry. I put my heart and whom I meet into the piece. 

My aunt’s husband, Gerald Lomaventema, knows my work and liked the details, descriptions, and stories behind it. He asked me if I would be willing to be part of his class. He wanted me to put my paintings and images in silver. He shared his knowledge and the history of how he learned from the Hopi Guild. This is part of our history and our culture and who we are to this day.

Everything in the pieces, the design, the images, and even the stones all represent healing. These are blessings for our people and everyone on this earth. We all plant and we all create something new, by doing this we’re giving back to mother earth. We’re giving her our blessings, our prayers, and our songs. 

Learn more about the unique Qwa-Holo Hopi Silvercraft here.