Friday, March 25, 2011

Artsy Fartsy Friday

We're taking Artsy Fartsy Friday off the canvas and into 3-D today.  No, you don't need those funky glasses :)  It's the ART that's 3-D! 

The tiny town of Virginia City, Montana is an ode to the Wild West but right smack in the middle of the main street you will find a paradoxical convergence of arts from the East, West and Europe known as Red Bear Mountain Trading Post.  (We're exercising some poetic license here, but that's how we see it :) 


The main drag in VA City where horses and horsepower co-exist



Welcome to Red Bear Mountain Trading Post - Come on in!


You will find many examples of Native American arts at Red Bear Mountain including medicine pouches and dream catchers.  The proprietress of Red Bear Mountain aka Niya is skilled in the art of lampwork (made popular in Italy).  Her lampwork beads are definitely works of art and just incredible.  So that's what we're gonna share with you today.


The beads in the middle are "Goddess" Beads - make the pic BIG and you can probably see why :) 

Have you ever tried to make lampwork beads?  Mom watched it being done up close and in person once and she has to agree when people say it's like working with honey!  We think Niya's beads are really special - so special that we had to have some of our own!   They are like miniature sculptures!  Here's our selection:


We were feeling kinda bearish that day.  Probably had something to do with seeing a real live grizzly that week :)

Niya also puts those dextrous hands to work with the healing art of Reiki (believed to originate in Tibet and rediscovered in Japan).   At the risk of you thinking we've gone crackers on you, we LIKE Reiki and have personally experienced its benefits.  In fact, Aspen was having some extraordinary hip issues while we were traveling last year (Aspen has REALLY bad hips - even for a Shepherd - and has had funky hips since we found her as a pup walking along Hwy. 610 in Virginia, not to be confused with Virginia City.)  Anyway, she got to the point where she wasn't putting any weight on one of her back legs.  (It's a long story and we won't bore you with the details.  It turned out to be some sort of bad infection in her hip and it was treated with antibiotics and she was back to her "normal" wobbly self.)  BUT, we could tell she was in pain and uncomfortable so we asked Niya to do Reiki on her.  You have to know Aspen, but until recently she COULD NOT stay still!  If she was outside and not allowed to just walk and walk, she would walk in circles incessantly like a cage tiger.  But after her Reiki session of about 20-30 minutes, she was as calm and relaxed as we've ever seen her!  No kidding! 

Here's Niya putting the touch to her own pup who gets to hang at the store and greet everyone.  (Now we're really embarrassed to tell you that we can't remember this pup's name.  We wrote it down and now can't find our writings.  If we come across it, we will let you know!) 







Wow, writing this makes us really want to get back on the road again! 

The Road Dogs

15 comments:

Lucy-Fur, as typed by Dr. Liz said...

Oooh! I could use some touching like that! I've got the itchies (and a vet appointment in 20 minutes, so says Mom) and would really like them to go away! We love the lamp beads!

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

SissySees said...

Oh, my favorite post of the week! You gotta' love a place named Virginia...

Uji, Angel Izzy, Ziggy, Angel Bean, Angel Hiro and Momma Tea said...

Ohh I have bear paw jewellery and I love turquoise ( my fav of all stones ) so adore your beads, love my native American jewellery most of mine comes from a small store in Bandera. It was my fav style of jewellery ever until I saw your Moms work ( have told OH what I would like for my birthday from your Moms collection......lol ) now she ranks up there with my love of native American work. Thank You for sharing today
Love
Momma Tea
xxx x xxx

PeeS. You may get an email from a friend of mine who is a mad adorable Mom of three doxies as she adores your new doxie range.

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

OOOOOOOOH... It makes ME want to go too!!!
I am really Lovin Artsy Fartsy Friday!!! So is my mom!!! I'm just sayin.

Backcountry Brodie said...

OK now when I biggify the pikshure of the Goddess beads I is thinking your bloggie mite need to be x-rated, no?

Two French Bulldogs said...

What cool town. So quaint.
Benny & Lily

Pepsi the Lazy Bum said...

You're tempting me to steal my hoomans' vehicle to go on a road trip! Love the beads thingy! Very artsy fartsy, very nice!

Woofs,
Pepsi

Sharon said...

Those glass and lamp-work beads look so cool. I was thinking of trying it, but them my oxygen supplier thought I just might blow up the back porch, so the stuff still sits there. Sigh...

I would like to learn that Reiki technique, I think it might help Jack with his thunderstorm tremors.

K9 Katastrophie said...

What a fun time!

Scooter said...

Hey Road Dogs!
Wow, this is a really fun series. Love your Trading Post...tons of fun things there! I bet there are more neat goodies in there than you can shake a stick at. Thanks for the fun pix. Cute pup.
Grr and Woof,
Sarge, COP

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Fun post about a cool place that we would all love to visit. Beautiful beads. The Momster has heard about Reiki and it was all good. Good to know it helped Aspen.

Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Angels Amber and Max DaWeenie and Mom said...

What a nice place. Wish I could visit there!

George The Lad said...

Pretty beads, love all the colours, and the dog with no name is all colours to!
See Yea George xxx

Prudence said...

I'm glad Aspen's hips feel better. That Reiki stuff sounds pawesome. I've heard my human talk about it, but never knew it could be used on dogs.

Anonymous said...

Very cool place! The beads are fantastic! You made some very nice choices for yourselves :)

I'm for any medicine that works. Particularly if it doesn't involve man made drugs! Yay for Reiki!

Waggin at ya,
Roo