Bison/Buffalo

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Tatanka

 The Sioux word for Buffalo

Engraving, Relief Sculpture & Oil on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 20
Size: 7½" high, 13"  wide, ½" thick 

Artist:  Elaine Sell Prefontaine 


THIS STUDIO DISPLAY PIECE IS NOT FOR SALE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The  Graystone  Legend

Engraving & Relief Sculpture on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 4RW04
Size: 6" high, 9 ½"  wide, ½" thick 

Artist:  Elaine Sell Prefontaine 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The  Buffalo's  Blue  Moon Scape

Engraving & Relief Sculpture on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 17
Size: 5¾" high, 10" wide, ½" thick 

Artist:  Elaine Sell Prefontaine 

This buffalo exudes a definite feeling of purpose, strength and action.
  I immediately envisioned this buffalo moonscape when I first saw the unique shape and beautiful varied browns and blues of this piece of slate stone.

  When I sculpted the moon shaped background and discovered the beautiful gray/blue it seemed natural to call it a "Blue Moon". 

 

"THIS STUDIO DISPLAY PIECE IS  NOT FOR SALE"

 

There are two definitions of "A Blue Moon":
 -   A blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month, and
-    A Blue Moon is the third of four full moons in a season. 

We experienced blue moons in both 2001 and  2004. 

 

 

 


 

 

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The 'Paha Sapa' Sentinel

 "Paha Sapa" is the Sioux name for the "Black Hills" 
 
Engraving & Relief Sculpture on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 21
Size: 6½" high, 14" wide,¼" thick 

Artist:  Elaine Sell Prefontaine 

This was a beautiful piece of slate stone to work with! 

 The engraved Bison itself and the foreground remain the original beautiful natural golden browns of the slate stone.  I ground off the top layer of the slate to reveal a soft gray blue colored sky.

When I painted the background for the Bison, suggesting dark pines, I was suddenly reminded of the Black Hills, and the title of this piece with the bison guarding those hills instantly came to me as:
 The "Paha Sapa" (the Black hills) Sentinel !  

This piece has an indescribable mystical quality about it causing one to be thoughtful and reminiscent of past times when living bison truly were "Paha Sapa" sentinels.  

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The "Paha Sapa", The Black Hills, are regarded as a holy place by the Sioux.  They are a place of the gods,  a place to speak to the "Great Spirit", and a spiritual place where warriors have gone to experience vision quests.

They are covered with dense forests of dark pine which give them the appearance of "Black Hills.

"THIS STUDIO DISPLAY PIECE IS  NOT FOR SALE" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Storm Brewing


Engraving, Relief Sculpture & Oil on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 24
Size: 4½" high, 10" wide, ½" thick

 
Artist:  Elaine Sell Prefontaine

The close-up above reveals the details of the engravings on the Bison
 and the relief sculpture work on the sky.

This interesting piece of slate stone captured my imagination setting me off on another creative journey!

The irregular natural slate blue background interspersed with hints of yellow ochre and moss green appeared when I ground off the top layer of stone to reveal the background sky.

Surprisingly there was one small part of this piece of slate stone which was a true yellow ochre, that being the full circle at the upper center of the scene, and it immediately became apparent that this was the full moon overlooking the recently sculpted stormy looking slate blue skies --- and thus the title 'Storm Brewing'

One can almost feel the cool wind of the brewing storm as we view the bison sensing its approach to his rugged rocky terrain, where he has been waiting for millenniums to be revealed.

 

 



 "S O L D"
July 2003

 

Storm Brewing - Bison 24
 now Now resides in Onondaga, Michigan  USA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Buffalo Came This Way


Engraving & Oil on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 10
Size: 4½" high, 7½" wide, 6/16" thick

Artist: Elaine Prefontaine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Prairie Legacy In Stone


 Engraving & Oil on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 18
Size: 5¾" high, 9" wide, ½" thick

Elaine Prefontaine


 


 


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Bison Memories Engraved on Stone


Engraving, Relief Sculpture & Oil on Purcell Mountain Slate Stone
Bison 16
Size: 7½" high, 9" wide, ½" thick

Artist: Elaine Prefontaine



"S O L D"

This bison now has its home on Bayshore Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
 A unique and special gift lovingly chosen by a wife for her husband's birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animal  Totem

Bison / Buffalo


If the bison appears often in your life at this time,  it may be your own personal animal totem.

The bison totem indicates that due to your own right actions and prayer, abundance is being manifested in some important aspects of your life. The laws of synchronicity are operating in your life, and all things are as they should be.

With the laws of synchronicity working for you, it is not necessary to push or force your way to achieve your goals and reach your destination.   Do what is right and feels right and take the smoothest path.  This means to do the work which needs to be done, and let events take their course ---"to go with the flow".

 The bison totem teaches us to stay grounded and work with our natural rhythms.

The bison humps are symbols of stored reserves of energies which may be tapped.  The humps on the bison are at shoulder level and indicate that we should "shoulder our own load" --- use our own efforts to reap the benefits.  The huge head reminds us to "use our head" while still connecting with our own higher divine powers.

The bison totem indicates opportunities for abundance in areas of our lives, providing we pray, appreciate what we have --- "count our blessings",  and honor those persons who have helped us in life.

As has been handed down through oral and written history, the bison totem is an especially practical totem which man has understood and related to since his first association with this truly exemplary creature

 

Bison / Buffalo  Digital  Photos

Taken On Farm near Taber, Alberta, Canada, October 2004

These photos make one reminiscent of the past when these magnificent creatures roamed our prairies in herds of thousands.  
If is written that when startled they stampeded creating a deafening roar, kicking up enough prairie dust to darken the skies.

 Here we see the snow blowing on their their heavy warm winter coats which enable them to survive our bitter cold and windy prairie winters. 
 In those past times when they roamed freely at large and were faced with a winter blizzard or danger from predators, such as wolves, 
 the adult bison formed a huge circle with their heads facing the center, surrounding and protecting the calves inside the circle.  

 

 

 

 

 


Backs to the Wind

 

 


 

 

 

 



Eye to Eye  Connection With The Big Guy

 

 

 


 

 

 

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Digital Photography by Elaine Sell Prefontaine 
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