Navajo Sterling Silver and Turquoise Bracelet By Noted Artist Teddy Draper Jr.

Mid/Late 20th Century

4.875" L x .625" W + 1.25" Gap

Hand Crafted from Sterling Silver and Old Green Cerrillos Turquoise Stones

In Excellent Condition

TEDDY DRAPER, JR. Lone riders traversing the vast expanse of the high plains desert; the chance encounter; a billow of clouds shadowing the eternal stone monuments of Canyon De Chelly; serenity and enchantment. These are all themes commonly depicted by Teddy Draper, Jr. with his pastel technique.

The transition of an individual's preconceived notions of nature to more natural and universal imagery begins the moment they set foot on the Navajo Reservation. The ability to see and feel images differently happens with first hand exposure to the Navajo philosophy to Walk In Beauty in the most spiritual of places on earth; Canyon De Chelly, Arizona.

Teddy Draper, Jr., the son of a WWII Navajo "Code Talker" is a holder of many prestigious awards for his art. He is a master of pastels, watercolors, oil painting and traditional and modern design Navajo jewelry. His techniques, constantly refined over thirty years, have grown into a personal style which he attributes to a feeling for "unseen colors." Teddy is renowned for his ability to recreate the drama and special light found in the sunsets of the great Southwest and brilliant depictions of his homeland and the Navajo lifestyle in and around the Canyon De Chelly area. He also holds artists workshops on his special pastel and painting techniques.

In this community on the Navajo reservation, Teddy Draper, Jr. devotes his free time and efforts to the Chinle Youth Athletic Club. Garnering many championships. He enjoys working with the Navajo youth, giving them guidance and inspiration. He encourages the next generation of Navajo artists by teaching them to excel in academics and athletics while retaining their rich culture and traditional values that have sustained the Navajo in their desert homeland for centuries.

Teddy lives near his DeChelly Art, LLC. studio with his wife, noted jeweler Ophelia Garcia, in Chinle, Arizona on the rim of the beautiful Canyon De Chelly.