Using unique material with various hardness levels requires meticulous carving, sanding, detailing, and polishing techniques that create beautiful creations of Zuni fetishes. “Carving fetishes begins with positive thoughts and love for the material I will use. My carvings are free-form and do not require me to draw the animals. If the stone, shell, or any material I use to carve breaks, it will be carved into another carving. No material is wasted. I am using materials from our mother planet, including stones, shells, amber, and fossils. Each carving requires a minimum of four sandings, from coarse to extra fine. The detailed work involves drilling the eyes, etching with diamond bits, and separating discs. Each carving will have inlaid eyes, either coral or turquoise and most often will have a bundle of turquoise and coral, which is an offering to the fetish carving. “
