Gifts of the Process

There's some serious excitement happening over here... first photoshoot complete!

I can't wait to share these amazing Anza Borrego shots with you all.
Here's the first. And my favorite. Because it encapsulates these incredible women (including the one behind the lens, @rainbowroadstudios) that I had the privilege of working with.

I'm honored to display my art by means of their stunning energies.

Each of these four ladies maintain a beautiful strength that is - so far as I see it - braced by a foundation of deep experience, healing, motivation, passion, empathy, and love.

These women embody what I hope to stand for in my creations.

All are made with elk and deer leather that is harvested by me and my family once a year in Montana. The harvest feeds us (with clean, organic, sustainable meat), and allows us a reconnection with this earth. We use as much of the animal as we possibly can, and leave any remaining parts for others along the food chain.

The majority of hunters leave hides behind, as they're heavy to pack out and a nuisance to process.

I keep 100% of our hides, and I clean and prepare them myself.

Then, I cut each item from what starts as a whole hide. I've learned from my mother, a stained glass artist, how to waste very little and minimize scraps.

I create a strip of beadwork with a loom, the largest of which is a loom my father made for me.

From there I sew the beadwork onto the leather and add final touches.

I'm always learning. Always exploring. And this process gifts me those same evocations: deep experience, healing, motivation, passion, empathy, and love.

Thank you all for supporting my expressions. I hope you enjoy this art !
With gratitude,
Magenta

P.s. as always, your questions are welcome here. Let's talk about it.