10 Sculptures in 10 Days by JW Winston

Day 1

Big Medicine Eagle Chief

Starting my turquoise carving career in Mesa Arizona back in 1976, I was very aware of the Scottsdale influence on Native Americans. My early carvings on Fifth Ave. mixed in with names like Victor Begay, looked like a peanut butter sandwich showing up to a Texas steak barbeque!!

It’s been the association with many Native Americans in my trade over the forty-five-year travels down this dusty road that have influenced my works the most. Appropriately so I give you on day one, “Big Medicine Eagle Chief”.

Along with his 395 carat Kingman, turquoise head are buffalo tipped mother of pearl feathers, coral, Picasso marble, abalone, carnelian, glass beads set in baked enamel with actual laced buffalo hyde the length of his train. The metal is hand fabricated sterling mixed with 18k gold on the back.

Day 2

Carved Picasso Sabertooth

Carved Picasso marble with mother of pearl teeth, rhodonite tongue with a custom glass taxidermy eye. This Sabertooth was #1 of a series of 10 total from Patrica Cornwell’s novel “Scarpetta”. This big cat was sold years ago and later someone inherited it and unknowingly traded the buckle for a used $250.00 cost pistol at a gun show!?!? Imagine the surprise of the trader who listed his buckle treasure on eBay as he watched the bids go of the wall in less than two days….we both agreed that was the luckiest gun show he had ever attended. Yesterday was a great day….your comments so tempted me to return to the bench and create something out of this world.

Day 3

Gold lip mother of pearl eagle

Gold lip mother of pearl eagle set in sterling with 18k gold stars. My signature carvings have been eagles for the most part while carving. I was introduced to the Gold Lip shell in 1981 when of all people, Amanda Blake “Kitty” of Gunsmoke, left a large shell with a dealer friend in Carefree Arizona. He asked if I could carve an eagle from it and I said let’s give it a try….long story short she loved it and I was commissioned for many other art pieces for her.

Day 4

Buffalo Blessings

Turquoise is my first love in carving. September 1st 1976 I finished my first ever carvings, three small turquoise leaves. It took me three days to carve them. 55 minutes today….lol One of my favorite subjects is the American Bison. This is “Buffalo Blessings” 479 carats of old Kingman Turquoise Mountain with real carved buffalo horn.

Day 5

Grizzley Stands Guard

“Grizzley Stands Guard” 677 carats of Kingman turquoise is the story of a starving cub rescued by deer hunting pirates and brought up to eventually guard their buried treasure of gold. Created for a successful treasure and gold hunter friend of mine. I thought for just one day you would like to see some photos of the process of bringing life to a million-plus-year-old stone.

Day 6

Rock and Gem Magazine

This eagle was originally an 18-pound natural Sleeping Beauty nugget bought from the mine in the early ’80s. While carving it the entire tail section and back of upper wings cracked and fell off, thus the13 ivory feathers for the original Thirteen Colonies. Note the claws would have been in proportion but now have a larger stylistic look about them. The base was carved out of Iron Wood by a Native Navajo friend in Apache Junction. I was honored to make the front cover of Rock and Gem Magazine.

Day 7

Skulls

Skulls!!!…for all my biker friends and many at their last Big Day today celebrating Daytona Bike Week!! Years of memories here for myself and Kelly.

Day 8

Bid Badass Barnyard Bird

Or the bird of many colors. Originally a challenge by a Texas farmer, I pondered for some months my ability to complete such a task. Several months later with many progressive photos of him coming together here on Facebook, he was completed right down to his chicken drop tips carved from Wildhorse Magnesite.

Made up of gold lip mother of pearl, conch shell and five other saltwater shell combos, his tail feathers include both Afghanistan and lighter Egyptian lapis. The colored feathers are abalone. To me and a lot of followers, amazement was how well his legs and claws turned out carved from Woolly Mammoth tusk. Hidden in his back plumage is one of my signature stones, carnelian. Many of you this morning with our current weather won’t be hearing the rooster caw…he’s hiding in the shed.

Day 9

Shades of Picasso

A buckle I surprised Kelly with for her 50th Birthday. The hair is actually carved Picasso marble. This work reminds me most of a once good friend and jewelry advisor to myself for several years. Our mother earth lost him during Indian Market in Santa Fe 2018. The late great Danny Romero. I’ve asked his wife Louella if I could nominate him as my artist choice for a ten-day show here on Facebook. With the help of Shelle of Cowboys and Indians Magazine, Charlie of Manitou Galleries and myself we hope we can leave a warm memory of his jewelry art here for all to see. These nominations are focused on bringing good vibes and peace to our world. Truly Danny was one great jeweler at peace with his art. Look him up on the web. He was the single biggest influence over my multi-gem carvings since our first show together in Beverly Hills 1992.

Day 10

True Forefathers

One hundred and six thousand finished carats carved in Cananea turquoise from the Sonora desert bordering Bisbee Arizona, this three-foot-tall stone harbors eight Native forefathers in a life-size bald eagle.

The tail feathers are of Carrera marble and the claws are bronze. Crazy Horse’s war bonnet flows to the wing of the eagle. He also has mother of pearl teeth and a bright chrysocolla tongue. The base is high impact machined and polished lucite. This work took me and apprentice Ron Higgens six and a half years to complete.