Solar Thunderbird Jar

About sunworx

Osiyo nigada tohitsu, ( Hello everyone how are you)? My English name is Sam Valenti, my Cherokee name is Awagadoga ( Standingdeer) I am of mixblood Cherokee heritage and live the Traditional Cherokee lifeways off the territories (rez). I am retired, married, and have one son. I have a Masters Degree in Teaching with a major in History. My undergraduate work was done at the University of Missouri at Columbia Missouri, and my graduate work at Webster University in St. Louis. I live a simple life in right relationship with all things including the two legged, four legged, winged, finned, plant people, and the creeping crawling things. I seek a balanced life by living the Four Directions, East representing the sacred, North represents the mental, West representing the physical, and South represents the natural. My vegitable garden, when I grow one, consists of the Three Sisters, corn, beans, and squash. I am part of a community of Native Peoples living in the Greater St. Louis Area and out-state Missouri. My beliefs stress living by cooperation and reciprocity rather than competition. I normally would not write much about myself as an individual; however, I write this to cooperatively participate as part of the Handmade “ community”. I live in the Missouri River Hills on a high ridge in a natural setting. I am visited regularly by the animal life living here. Over many years we have become respectful acquaintances. From the smallest to the largest, they watch out for me and I for them. We have a wonderful community of life here where all things are welcomed and respected. My flower gardens, trees, and shrubs consist mostly of indigenous plants grown naturally and the bees and the birds greatly benefit from the indigenous plants, as do I. The love and respect I have for Nature is reflected in the subject matter I select to place on glass. It is a natural and seamless way to create. I have always felt closest to the arts and the humanities. Of particular interest to me is the interplay of light and glass. The development of solar systems allowed me to combine the two and apply them to outdoor use. My online shop is located at https://handmadeartists.com/shop/Sunworx. I craft sand etched solar mason jars, solar bottles, and solar old telegraph insulators. View all posts by sunworx