“I strive to capture the essence of life’s beauty that surrounds us.”
Janet Yazzie, who hails from a long line of weavers and sheepherders, represents the first generation of her Diné family to bring artwork to shows. At Coconino Community College’s 20th annual Palette to Palate, Yazzie, adorned in traditional turquoise and silver jewelry, was as comfortable painting on display as she was in the warmth of her family’s hogan as a child, surrounded by family and love.
Drawing inspiration from her Native roots, Yazzie floods her canvases with vibrant contemporary portrayals of landscapes, night skies and Navajo traditions. On this Friday evening, April 25, Yazzie dotted her oil painting with stars of the Milky Way, stretching above a humble hogan, an original piece in the making that charmed the hundreds of attendees and brought in $1,650 for the CCC art program and student…