Artist Update

My name is Romaine Begay, Ro. I am Towering House born into the Zuni clan. This is a formal Navajo greeting. My business is called Nizhoni Pottery, where I create a combination of traditional and contemporary pottery. Nizhoni is a Navajo word meaning beautiful, fine, and good, all in one depending on the accent used. My connection with art has been throughout my life. Early on as a child my cousin and I would have drawing competitions to see who the better artist was. Good ol’ WNMU, in Silver City New Mexico was where I went to college. Not a lot of people can say that they play in the mud all day long for a living. I have my father to thank for encouraging me to better myself with a college education and the ceramics program at WNMU for keeping me in college and earning a degree. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Fine Art with an emphasis in ceramics.

*Please feel free to use my functional work in the microwave, dishwasher and oven. My work is also lead free, so please enjoy.*

What's New

9-5-09 So it has been a while since I have posted a blog on here, and since then things have been pretty crazy in my life. As you all know an artist gathers inspiration for their work with in their lives. I am no different from all those artist. Recently a family member of mine has gone through a very scary medical time. During this very scary time I have really seen first hand just how much the power of prayer really works. We spent alot of our time trying to help him recover from his medical issues and I got very behind. As soon as I got back home and back to work in my studio I could not get that out of my mind, and was very inspired from that real life experience.

Through this experience I took a look back at how I was brought up and how the Navajo traditions play a pivital role in living in harmony. It seems like that was a part of my life that I have neglected for a little bit. I relized just how these traditions make me who I am, no matter where I am or where I go. These tradtions I plan on passing onto my family.

In my recent works I have been drawing directly onto larg pots, platers, flared out platters, recreating the birth of these Navajo tradtions. Traditions like the "Morning Blessings", "Blessings Songs" and others. I have done this technique before but always with a pre sketched drawing. This time I let the first mark determine what the image would be. Each image is truly a one of a kind image, that can not ever be reproduced.

At the recent 2009 SWAIA Indian Market I took a chance and entered two pieces totally different from what I normally would enter, and one of these pieces was awarded a second place ribbon within my catagory. It was a large jar telling the story of the first corn pollen blessing. I was very surpised, because I was very nervous about how my new works would be recieved. Over all this was the best SWAIA Indian Market that I have participated in and I got to see lots of old artist friends and make some new artist friends. I made some very good trades. Met a lot of people from all over the country/world. Talked to lots of new collectors and a lot of my past collectors of my work. So until next time, "Walk in beauty" everyone.

Romaine Begay

Inspirations

My grandmother Lydia Mason, on my father’s side is a very strong woman in all ways. She is in her late eighties now. Up until last year she was still herding sheep on her trusty ol’horse. She was the one who gave me my real name. My Navajo name. Many of the designs I use are the same ones she uses in her rug designs. These are traditional Navajo designs, which have importance and meaning to each one.

My grandfather Jim Mason, on my father’s side is a great man. The one thing I really miss about being home is hearing his stories. He told me stories of the Navajo people, like the creation of the Dine`, coyote and many other animals. My favorite stories of his are of First Man and First Woman, the twin monster killers and of Turquoise Boy. Both my grandmother and grandfather have strong influences within my work.

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