Folk Art at Vista House

Yesterday I packed up my trade bead collection and headed to Vista House to participate in our Folk Art Program.  We have a series of demonstrations by wood carvers, rock collectors, artists and craftspeople.  My friend Sally, who coordinates the program brought her bead collection and we set up together.  Below are my favorites, the blue ones were found near the Columbia River in places where First People had their trade camps - and very well could have been brought here by Lewis & Clark and traded to the Native people here.  The colored ones also were found there and were in a museum before the people I got them from bought them when the museum was selling some of it's items in order to buy new things.  I traded for the beads by making a website for the traders.  :-)

I also brought about 6 or 7 beaded necklaces that I made myself.  The one below won 1st place in the jewelry division of a national art contest for the Daughters of the American Revolution. :-)

This was my view from my table, of Vista House's interior.  It went through 4 million dollar restoration 10 years ago, the interior is clad with Kasota limestone, which had been painted over.  Now it is stone in all it's grandeur.  I was one of the founders of the Friends of Vista House and was it's first Executive Director for 15 years.  I *love* this building. 

The inside of the dome and the original stained glass windows.

Don't you love the graphic look of the beams on the dome interior? 

Here is my display all set up.  I always use my Pendleton Blanket - "Chief Joseph" under my bead collection. :-) 

Sally brought a small part of her arrowhead collection, 2 stone artifacts, one a grinding stone called a mortar and a fun stone that has a carved face in it with applied handmade paint, but it's very hard to photograph.  She also brought her beads - I think she likes blue! 

My trade beads were made in many places around the world.  I have old amber, carnelian stone beads and mostly old glass beads. 

Here is one I made using the peyote stitch method, it's "She-Who-Watches" a famous petroglyph found in the Columbia River Gorge on a huge stone overlooking the water.   

I made this long necklace, a replica of a necklace my uncle found in my grandparents old farmhouse and gave to my sister.. I loved it so much that I made one for myself, so now we both have one!  The family that lived across from my grandparents in Oklahoma in the countryside were native American and would ask my grandpa if he wanted to buy their beadwork when they needed some money and grandpa ended up with one, they would usually buy them back.  See the bird in this one? 

My display cases of beads.  The ones on the right are called Chevron beads and were the most treasured of trade beads. 

Also a favorite are the "Russian Blues" on the left.  They were actually made in Europe, bought by the Russians, who would bring them to the Northwest to trade to the Indians for furs. 

I made the ones in the middle. 

This image is of another petroglyph found in the gorge of a mountain goat.  I also have one of the Speedis Owl somewhere.. :-) 

My friend Sally brought a frame of arrowheads that her parents dug out of the riverside before the Dalles Dam was filled in.. which would have buried these things forever.  They were given permission by the Oregon Historical Society to dig, as long as they reported their finds.  The small ones are called "bird points". 

Here is the rock item with a face on it, you will have to use your imagination to see it, but there is a nose, mouth, 2 eyes, eyebrows.. and I have no idea what it was used for. 

On the way back home I saw that my beloved Columbia Tiger Lily was in bloom.. my favorite wildflower.  It's very hard to photograph these for some reason. 

Aren't they wonderful? 

Here is one just opening up. 

At home we have a bearded iris open.. it wasn't a good year for them for some reason. 

But the roses are happy!  My "Scentimental" rose. 

This wonderful golden orange one. 

Kristi helped Dayle get this far on putting the pergola together.  She is back today to help with the rest, and our 2 sons will arrive later to help, also.  Then they will all work on the play structure!  Hayden brought in the eggs out of the henhouse and Dayle cooked up 6 eggs with some cheddar cheese grated over the top for Hayden and Caleb.  I even got a bit of it.  

We are having a hard time getting used to the structure.. I'm used to a full vista of green.  I hope we didn't make a mistake getting this.  Hopefully we will learn to like the new look.  Thanks for the visit and have a great week!!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)