THE NECKLACE:

Designed to give you versatility in the ways this can be worn, Award winning Kewa Puebloan artist Jolene Bird made this in a reversible style necklace.

Hanging from 3 strands of a faceted beads that are a Sleeping Beauty color, are 3 large sized "Star" shapes that have a reversed mosaic inlaid pattern. On one side,the stars are mosaic inlaid with Sleeping Beauty turquoise (photo 1) & on the other is a multi color layout! (Photo 2 & 3) So you have a choice, if you want to do blue for the day or if you want to add more color for the day, you would wear it on that side! The turquoise side is vivid & lively, whereas the other side is made with just about every material known to Kewa jewelry & you can pull from any one of these colors!

Used as spacers are hand cut Olive Shell heishi & the necklace is finalized with sterling cones & a large hook & eye. No matter what side you choose to wear it,this is a necklace that will stand out against with just about any color clothing!

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ABOUT THE ARTIST:

There's a reason why that with every Native American juried/judged event that Jolene attends, she will usually win either in "Best of Show, the big Grand Prize or comes in 1st place & when you see the unique type of work she puts out, you'll understand why! She has gone on to win awards for her amazing mosaic pots/vases & I have been honored at carrying many, which have all sold out.

Incorporating what has been passed down through oral history & from generation after generation, Jolene puts her own unique twists on things & pours her heart & soul into everything she puts her hands on & the judges for these Native American events are always left in disbelief because the items she brings to the table, are something you'll never see among other Puebloan artists when it comes to the "Art of Mosaic or for "Puebloan Jewelry".

I believe with Jolene, it's not about just being another Puebloan mosaic artist, but it's the way & WHAT she decides to mosaic! She has even gone on to making a chess set, mosaic sunglasses, mosaic chairs, a mini sized mosaic inlaid Volkswagen Beetle car and even went as far as fully mosaic inlaying a Gibson guitar!! You name it, Jolene will mosaic it!

The young Jolene learned this art from her grandparents (who were also mosaic artists) but lucky for Jolene, because it was her Grandmother Anita, who told her to "seek a new direction" & that is when she went from 'traditional' & took a more "contemporary' approach by starting to design these very high end quality pieces, while gaining the respect of many Native American scholars. Moving forward, she has surpassed 100's of artists from the pueblo.

Jolene lives on the Kewa Pueblo with her immediate family, who she is now passing on everything she knows about this Ancestral Puebloan art form & works very closely with her artisan son Charles Bird, whose jewelry you can find in my listings !

Jolene's work is highly collectible & gives us a historical ancestral Puebloan past,but with a contemporary edginess !