AUTHOR: Alisha TITLE: Monday Muse - Elizabeth Whyte Schulze DATE: 1/10/2005 06:21:00 AM ----- BODY:

I must tell you, I love artwork that tells a story. I love when a piece tells you about the person that made it, the work that went into creating it, and the position the maker held in life. Then, I further gush and fall in love all over again when I find out I was wrong. I was duped! Every clue pointed down a different path. It’s like reading a great novel, with a huge surprise ending. I feel this sense of surprise from Elizabeth Whyte Schulze. Is she Native American? Are these the markings of her ancestors? Did her grandfather teacher traditional basketry techniques? Are her dyes and the pigments in her surface paints obtained through natural methods on her farm in Wyoming? Well, of course, I conjured all this. Elizabeth does not live in Wyoming. She pulls markings from many different cultures (not just one), then embellishes with symbols of her own design. She tells stories in the method professional storytellers have for centuries. She weaves her way around a topic, bobbing in and out with the physical materials of her craft. To learn more about Elizabeth's rich body of work, visit Thirteen Moons Gallery's website. And, once you've learned more about her work and flooded your head with the images... You tell me: Is it art or craft?

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