Native Plants: Bitterroot

Description

In my Native Plants series, I am honoring and celebrating plants that have personal and cultural significance across the various regions where I have lived or where I have cultural connections. One of the ways in which Native people show honor and respect for the natural world is through embellishment. We bead on hides, carve bones and hooves into elegant shapes, we dye porcupine quills and stitch them onto birchbark boxes. For this reason, I place my plant drawings against a backdrop of ribbonwork applique designs. Ribbonwork is an artform that is significant to my tribe and I create each design with the importance of the plant in mind so as to honor the importance of these plants and the importance of nature to all living beings.

I grew up on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. The bitterroot is a significant plant to the people that I grew up with for many reasons. Not only is it a beautiful part of the Montana landscape, it is the state flower. It has an even deeper significance within the Native community. It is a traditional food, connected to specific gathering practices and ceremonies. I remember as a child being taught how to dig up the root and watching as the roots were prepared and cooked. I have fond memories of eating the bitterroot, with a lot of honey and huckleberries because they are true to their name. I honor these practices, the life sustaining properties of the Bitterroot, and my childhood memories. By sharing this artwork, I invite the viewer to share in this practice with me and honor their own connections to the natural world.

Museum-quality print made on thick and durable matte paper. The original artwork was created with a blend of graphite drawing techniques and acrylic painting. Size includes approximately 1 inch of margin around artwork.

Available in the following sizes:
10 x 10 inches (25.4 x 25.4 cm)
12 x 12 inches (30.5 x 30.5 cm)
14 x 14 inches (35.6 x 35.6 cm)

Paper quality
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
• Giclée printing quality
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!