Sena

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194 creative works found

Buffalo Spirit
by Sena

Painted Buffalo skull on leather shield against colorful motif. The turquoise, or blue, colorization, in its many hues, is a sacred color which wards off evil.
Petroglyph Warrior
by Sena

A petroglyph is a carving or engraving in rock; especially an ancient one. My ancestors left tens of thousands such depictions of their lives on rocks throughout the Great American Southwest. / This fellow I have created here displays the Zia (Sun) with its four rays – “To the Zia Indian, the sacred number is embodied in the earth, with its four directions; in the year, with its four seasons; in the day, with the sunrise, noon, evening, and night; in life, with its four divisions—childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life and love, without beginning, without end.”
Riding The Current
by Sena

Attributes of Turtle: Self contained, protection, and creative source. Turtle represents Mother Earth, informed decisions, planning and adaptability…can awaken the senses on both the physical and spiritual level. Perceiving, inner knowledge. As you can see, Turtle represents powerful medicine.
Kokopelli Comes
by Sena

Kokopelli, the seed bringer and water-sprinkler(a reference to his male anatomy), is a common fertility symbol throughout the Southwest. His image is found in petroglyph art particularly in the fourcorners area and along the gorges of the San Juan River in Northern New Mexico and Colorado. He is a personage who is honored as a kachina by most Pueblo cultures. He is associated with fertility, the male principal and physiology, and the concept of the significance of protecting seeds. Usually depicted as old, bent under his heavy load, he visits various communities, impregnating the young women drawn to the tones of his flute playing. He is also related to the cricket, or locust, whose natural music is connected with specific humidity and seasonal temperatures. There are many, very ribald stories of his various exploits. When carved as a kachina doll, he usually has a staff, not a flute, but is also carved hunchbacked. Before the missionaries came to the Hopi mesas in the 1930’s, his kachina disguise and this doll also featured exaggerated male sexual organs although this practice has been curtailed in recent years. Today, he is considered the ambassador of the Southwest, a much less colorful job, by tourists and visitors.
Katsina SunFace
by Sena

A feathered Katsina SunFace mask.
Ancient Hunter
by Sena

Left etched on a remote rock during a hunting foray, the ancient hunter stands depicted along with his quarry.
Atsá
by Sena

Atsá (Diné [Navajo] word for eagle). Eagle, the master of the sky, is considered a carrier of prayers. Many Indian Nations honor this bird as possessing courage, wisdom, and a special connection to the creator. This is often confused with the “thunderbird” image concept. Eagle is also a Directional Protector(the Sky) spirit, and an image associated with spirits and visions. / My depiction represents three Bald Eagles circling about the Sun, here symbolized by the sacred Zia (Zia Pueblo word for ‘Sun’). Its rays marking the four directions; in the year, with its four seasons; in the day, with the sunrise, noon, evening, and night; in life, with its four divisions—childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life and love, without beginning, without end.
Sun
by Sena

Ancient Southwestern Sun Design.
Zia
by Sena

Zia Keresean (language of the Zia Pueblo [and other Keres pueblos] in New Mexico) for Sun. New Mexico’s distinctive insignia is the Zia (Sun) Symbol, which originated with the Indians of Zia Pueblo (north central New Mexico) in ancient times. Its design reflects their tribal philosophy, with its wealth of pantheistic spiritualism teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe. Four is the sacred number of Zia, and the figure is composed of a circle from which four points radiate. These points made up of four straight lines of varying length personify the number most often used by the Giver of all good gifts. To the Zia Indian, the sacred number is embodied in the earth, with its four directions; in the year, with its four seasons; in the day, with the sunrise, noon, evening, and night; in life, with its four divisions—childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life and love, without beginning, without end. The Zia believe, too, that in this great brotherhood of all things, man has four sacred obligations: he must develop a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of his people. This is the symbol which adorns the flag of New Mexico.
Koshari
by Sena

KOSHARI (Also known as Koshare, Koyala, Hano, and Tewa) Kosharis or variants of them may be found in most of the pueblos. Although their primary function is one of amusement for the audience during pauses in katsina (kachina) dancing or as a leavening for the seriousness of a major ceremony, clowns are considered both sacred and profane. Easily recognizable by the black and white stripes painted over his entire body. He is ususally shown in a humorous pose. He is the joker who rings happiness to others. / / Clown Katsinas provide amusement during Katsina ceremonies. Clowns are often shown with watermelons and behave in the ususal manner of pueblo clowns, engaging in loud and boisterous conversation, immoderate actions, and gluttony. Clowns participate as drummers for dances. / In the Hopi tradition, the Sacred Clown Katsina frequently disrupts rituals. The clown satirizes Hopi life by acting out and exaggerating improper behavior…many times the Koshari’s actions are meant to portray a lesson on the behavior apparent in a tribal member. Their purpose is to show that overdoing anything is bad not only for the individual, but for the rest of the tribe as well. Kosharis play tricks, act out absurd pantomines, or mimic spectators. Similar to the more serious Katsinas, but with humor, the clown helps maintain community harmony by reminding the people of the acceptable standards of behavior within the Hopi community.
Spirit Horse Mesa
by Sena
Eagle Devouring Rabbit
by Sena

Mimbreños (Mimbres) Mythology. The moon was considered to be a rabbit which was regularly devoured by an eagle, thus representing the particular phase of the moon.
Cosmic Radiance
by Sena

Feathered Katsina SunFace Shield and Three Stars emit brilliant radiance.
Spirit of the Buffalo Sun
by Sena

Buffalo skull adorned with paint, leather and Hawk, all placed upon a leather shield. Behind the shield radiate the rays of a Zia (Sun).
Traveling Star
by Sena

Through the vastness that is the cosmos, the Traveling Star rips its way towards a destination only known by Creator, leaving behind its ethereal trail.
Stone Hunter
by Sena

Petroglyph depiction of predator and prey. The hunter bears the sacred Zia (Sun). Tens of thousands of these precious images are found throughout the southwest, left by my ancestors as a revelation of their lives, beliefs, and activities.
Sky Hawk
by Sena

My abstract rendition of one of the most majestic predatory birds of the sky – the Hawk. I was born under the sign of the Hawk and have a strong bond with this creature.
Audrey
by Tom Sena

In honor of the late Audrey Hepburn, a fabulous actress and even greater humanitarian. Part of my “Icons” Series, the first series to utilize my innovative “inkrub” printmaking technique. Also utilizes graphite, conte, and pastel on top of collaged newspaper.
The Offer He Couldn't Refuse...
by Tom Sena

The very first large-scale inkrub I ever pulled, and the first of the “Icons” Series…captures part of the opening sequence in the original “Godfather”...created using inkub,graphite,and white conte on collaged newspaper. Featured in “Get Art Promoted”.
The Champ
by Tom Sena

Celebrating the iconic image of Rocky Balboa and wife Adrian after his bout with Apollo Creed…part of the “Icons” Series…created with inkrub, white conte, blue pastel, black graphite on collaged newspaper…original measures 32”x40”. Featured piece in Admit One-Movie Art
The Hospital Wing
by Mary Ann Reilly

Santa Maria della Scala Hospital Museum / Siena, Italy / August 2009 Served as a hospital from the tenth century until the 1980s. Nikon D300 / Manual / 18-200 mm / Raw Featured in the Group: Moody, Dark, Evocative / Featured in the Group: Light in Darkness
Katsina Sun Face
by Sena

Giver of Life, Warmth, and Growth. Katsina (Kachina) SunFace.
Eagle's Journey
by Sena

Eagle medicine is the power of the Great Spirit. Eagles teach personal power, healing, and wisdom. Eagles are gifted with clear vision to truly see the things one sees. Within the belief systems of North American tribes, Eagle represents a state of grace achieved through hard work, understanding, and a completion of the tests of initiation which result in the taking of one’s personal power. It is only through the trial of experiencing the lows in life as well as the highs, and through the trial of trusting one’s connection to the Great Spirit, that the right to use the essence of Eagle medicine is earned. Eagles are the primary servant of Sun and protect against evil.
Navajo Ye'ii
by Sena

Ye’ii (YAY-ee) Navajo Ye’ii Spirit, is a depiction of an irit considered by the Navajo to be a go-between between man and Creator. Ye’iis control natural forces in and on the earth, such as day and night, rain, wind, sun, etc. A very special kind of ye’ii is the Yei’bi’chai, grandparent spirit or “talking God” who can speak with man, telling him how to live in harmony with all living things by following a few rules of behavior and using only the basic things he needs to survive.