Jon Van Zyle Art Gallery

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CONTAINERS , JEWELRY & ART

By their small nature, beads and art made from beads will draw you nearer to look, inspect and reflect. The word "bead" comes from the ancient word "bede" which means prayer. Each creation becomes a mediation and the creative process is as important to me as the end product. So by creating beaded works of art, I am connected to the work of thousands before me. My hands follow a familiar rhythm from the collective history of beadwork, creating something new, one bead at a time.

Jona's new containers are inspired by ivory-topped baleen baskets. She wanted to create pieces to hold her favorite Alaskan memories.

Each container is one-of-a-kind, taking 30 to 80 hours of hand sewing to complete. The lampwork glass sculpture/bead tops are custom made for each piece and sit on top of two layers of laminated leather with detailed beadwork completing all edges.

All of the special lampwork beads are created by my friend, Elise Strauss , a world renown glass artist. Her exquisite pieces have really inspired my work. If you would like to see more of Elise's work, visit her web site.

Proudly made in the USA

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"Polar Bear/Northern Lights" - Effetre' glass bear sits on top of beaded, tanned salmon skin, bugle beads for northern lights, black suede/leather container finished with hematite beads.

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"Silver Salmon" - Dichroic glass salmon swims on metalic-printed leather and green suede, finished with stone, metal and glass beads.

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Click photo to enlarge

"Snowy Owl" - Carved ivory owl tops a non-Alaskan snake skin and suede container finished with hematite and polished bone beads.
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"Large Beluga" - Smoked- tanned mose hide and blue suede with Effetre' glass Beluga, finished with glass beads
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Front View Back View

"Polar Bear Bowl " - Hurbert Kotculuk signed ivory bear graces this suede and smoke-tanned moose hide bowl finished with mother of pearl and green glass beads.
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"Arctic Fox" - Effetre' glass fox sits on top of tanned salmon skin, surrounded with "fish" buttons, finished with hematite, stone, and glass beads.
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Sausage Casing
2 1/4" High x 1 1/4" Diameter
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Sausage casing stiched and beaded on moose hide base.

Note: I have been intrigued by the creative use of natural materials by Alaska's indigenous peoples. In wilderness areas, far from stores, you learn to make the most of what you have available.The use of seal intestine for rain gear and translucent containers caught my interest. Not being of native heritage, it is against the law for me to purchase, work with, or sell these materials. For more information visit the Marine Mammal Act web site.A friend suggested I try working with sausage casing, since it's simalar in look and feel and is in keeping with my German/Russian heritage. This is a first, small experimental piece.

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"Diving Spotted Seals "- 5 3/4 inch tall by 2 7/8 diameter. Two Effetre glass (looks like walrus ivory) spotted seals sit atop a smoke-tanned moose hide and tanned salmon skin top. Ivory fish on top with seals. Carved bone fish swim around the moose hide base. Hematite, Jade Opal and tiny glass beads complete this piece.

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"Crab on glass float" - 5" height x 4" diameter
Custom lampwork bead featured on tanned salmon skin top, trimmed with assorted shells and glass beads. Brown calf skin suede base.

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Click photo to enlarge for top view

Click photo to enlarge

Turnagain Belues - Suede base 3 3/4 diameter base, top width, 5 1/2 inches, top length 8 1/2 inches, outside length with Beluga whales 8 inches. Four Effetre glass Beluga whales play in the blue suede water of Turnagain Arm. The bowl is finished with bone and frosted blue glass beads.

Turnagain Belues was accepted into the Earth, Fire and Fibre XXVII Biennial Juried Craft Exhibition. Touring the state in 2010. Jona is thrilled to have her suede bowl included as one of only 80 pieces to make the final cut from the many, many entries submitted from around the state.

Sausage Casing - 3 1/4 tall x 2 3/4 diameter. Gold and shiny black glass beads and hematite trimmed around sausage casing.

Note: I have been intrigued by the creative use of natural materials by Alaska's indigenous peoples. In wilderness areas, far from stores, you learn to make the most of what you have available.The use of seal intestine for rain gear and translucent containers caught my interest. Not being of native heritage, it is against the law for me to purchase, work with, or sell these materials. For more information visit the Marine Mammal Act web site.A friend suggested I try working with sausage casing, since it's simalar in look and feel and is in keeping with my German/Russian heritage. This is a first, small experimental piece.

THIS ITEM IS SOLD

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"Copper River Salmon"
3" high x 3" diameter

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Tanned salmon skin lined in suede and finished with copper, glass and hematite beads. Click image to enlarge.

"Spotted Seal"
3.75 " high x 3 " diameter

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Black suede with calfskin top hair-on, finished with matte finish hematite and white glass beads. Click image to enlarge.

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"Bird Skull"
5.75" x 4" diameter
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Acid-etched lampwork glass skull on hair-on calfskin, lined in suede, finished with old trade beads and acid-etched glass beads. Click image to enlarge.

"Beaded design - Barbed Wire"
4" high x 3.5" diameter

Beaded top with knotted leather "barbed wire" on tanned elk suede, container finished with glass beads. Click image to enlarge.

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"Fox 1"
4" high x 3 1/2" diameter

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An arctic fox ( lampwork glass bead ) rests on a beaver fur bed atop a smoke-tanned moosehide container. It is finished and detailed with small glass seed beads.

"Fox 2"
5" high x 3 1/2" diameter

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The fox are lampwork glass pieces topping a smoke-tanned moosehide container. The top is detailed with round Jasper beads and then detailed with assorted glass and hematite beads.

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Click to photo enlarge view

"Spy Hopping"- 5 inches tall, 3 inches diameter. Effetre glass beluga whale head rises above the waves on a green pigskin suede container. It's finished with bone, glass, meta and hematite beads.

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"Moose Antler" - Moose antler sits on top of pieced tanned salmon skin lid. Brain tanned moose hide is used on the lower section and it's finished with Hematite and glass beads.

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"Green Leaves and Flowers"
4.25" high x 3" diameter

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Beaded blue forget-me-not flowers on smoke-tanned moosehide suede with lampwork glass green leaves top and finished with red cord and glass beads. Click image to enlarge.

"Polar Bear"
5" high x 4" diameter

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Glass bear sits atop a tanned salmon skin top on a black suede container finished with mother-of-pearl, bone and glass beads. Click image to enlarge. Alternate view.

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"Tanned Salmonskin Container"
6.25" x 4" diameter

Tanned salmonskin lined in leather edged in dicloric glass "fins" and large glass beaded base. Click image to enlarge. Top view

"Leaves & Berries"
7" High x 31/2" Diameter
Glass leaves and berries embellish this smoke-tanned moose hide container.
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"The Three Bears"
5" High x 5" Diameter

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A family of lampwork polar bears top this smoke-tanned moose hide and white suede container. Icy green moss agate and assorted hematite and glass beads complete the piece.

Inspired by a trip to Kaktovik/Barter Island where I had the opportunity to spend several days observing polar bears.

"Starfish/Tidepool Series"
3 1/4" High x 31/4" Diameter.

Copper starfish, shells and glass beads topped tanned salmon skin & suede container. Pink coral beads ring the top with smoke-tanned moose hide for the base.

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"Spotted seal on ice"

This piece features one of Elise's lampwork glass seals that sits atop a suede ice berg edged with snake skin (not from Alaska...no snakes here).

The base is blue suede and it is trimmed with bone and glass beads. It is in the private collection of a Swiss artist .

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Contact us for pricing

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"Intruding Memories "
by Jona Van Zyle

11" x 17"
GICLEE - Limited Edition of 100

Price: $170
plus shipping & handling

"Crown of the Continent"
Coloring Book

by Jona Van Zyle

This project came to life through Jona's involvement with the Jr. Ranger Program in Wrangel St. Elias Park where she was artist in residence in 2006. A desire to encourage children to become more aware of the natural world around us.

Price: $6.00
Plus shipping & handling