Desert Muse brings together a tapestry of unexpected images inspired by my recent trip to Arizona. Witnessing the desert in bloom, particularly the cacti in Scottsdale, sparked the vision for this piece. The flowers that grow from the antlers are image transfers from actual photographs I took there. The central female figure wears a Victorian collar and pearls, a nod to another time and place, yet she walks within a desert landscape. Her head is adorned with antlers that cradle a nest of eggs, where an owl perches regally. Both her antlers and forehead are inscribed with Old English-style text, layering history and meaning. The owl, crowned with corn—a sacred Native American symbol of life, fertility, and prosperity—anchors this totem-like piece in Indigenous tradition. Monarch butterflies drift across the scene, their wings embellished with tiny skulls, a subtle reference to Día de los Muertos. In this blending of Victorian, Mexican folk, and Native American imagery, Desert Muse becomes a meditation on the shared land and intertwined cultural stories that shape it.

Name Of Artist (So You Are Searchable!)

Laurie Mika Mikaarts

Exact Dimensions (H x W x D)

20 x 16 x 1.5

Year Created

2025

Provide details about the signature

Signed on back

Materials

Polymer clay, collage and jewelry pieces