THACKERVILLE, Okla. – A life-sized bison bust made of paper towels captured Best of Show honors at Hushtola Art Market.
Chickasaw artist Regina Free took home top prize with “Windswept.” She also won Best of 2D during competition with “Hopi Dancer,” a watercolor painting.
Free has won back-to-back Best of Show honors at art shows hosted by the Chickasaw Nation.
Her life-sized sculpture of an American Bald Eagle – titled “Osi” the Chickasaw word for eagle – was judged the finest piece of art during competition at the Southeastern Art Show and Market (SEASAM). The show is conducted annually in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, where thousands of Chickasaws celebrate Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival.
Much like “Osi,” Free believes she put approximately 500 to 600 hours creating “Windswept.”
And, meeting the deadline to enter “Windswept” into competition was a task requiring a lot of “prayers and tears,” Free said.
“I barely got this thing done in time,” she said. “I sold ‘Osi’ to a collector in Dewey, Oklahoma. Then I thought ‘Oh no! Now what?’ I started working on “Windswept” about the third weekend in October and did not finish it until 4:30 p.m. last Thursday (Dec. 12). I thought perhaps I could ride the success I enjoyed with “Osi” through the remainder of 2024. I decided to count my blessings ‘Osi’ sold, but getting “Windswept” finished and ready for competition has left me completely worn out.”
Competition for Hushtola Art Market was conducted Dec. 12-13, so Free was rushing to complete her work.
“I spent two days working on it in my living room dressed in my pajamas,” the Newkirk, Oklahoma, artist said with a laugh. “My studio was too small to accommodate the sculpture, and I had to move it in the house. I think over those two days I slept four hours, but I did take time to brush my teeth,” Free said lightheartedly.
Working with paper towels, Free hit an obstacle fashioning the fur of “Windswept.”
“Yeah,” she noted with a sigh, “it looked just like a bust of Elvis. I thought about calling him ‘Belvis.’ I struggled to get it to look right. It was exhausting. Finally, I said ‘Heavenly Father, you don’t have to help me finish this, but I wish you would!”
Her prayer was answered. “I finally got it figured out, and I was pleased with the final result,” she said.
Additionally, Free won Best of 2D with “Hopi Dancer.”
She completed the painting and exhibited it to art lovers during SEASAM. It is a portrait of a First American fancy dancer decked out in full regalia. It finished second in the 2D art division at SEASAM competition.
“I was determined “Hopi Dancer” was going to be all watercolor without any colored pencil. I wanted the painting to be fresh and light. It has an ephemeral feel, and I loved that about the painting. It was so difficult to not overwork the piece. So, ‘Osi’ won Best of Show at SEASAM and Best of 3D at the Cherokee Art Market (CAM) right after SEASAM,” she said. ‘Hopi Dancer’ did not win anything at CAM. But I was happy it placed in SEASAM. For it to win Best of 2D at Hushtola was very satisfying,” she said.
“I put so much effort and time into “Windswept,” I totally forgot about “Hopi Dancer.” It was framed, finished and ready to go. All my attention was directed elsewhere. When they announced the winners, my husband, Adam, had a nice expression on his face. I said, ‘Was that my painting?’ and he confirmed it. It was so unexpected but also exciting, because it was received well.”
Free’s success is a shared family experience. “I’d like to give my family props for tolerating frozen pizzas and a messy house,” she said playfully. “The beautiful base of “Windswept” is a work of art that my husband built. He is a veterinarian by trade and an on-demand carpenter on the side. The base is reclaimed driftwood railroad ties and salvaged metal from our ‘pasture treasures.’ Without his help and my family’s support, this would not be possible.”
This year marks the second time the Chickasaw Nation has hosted Hushtola Art Market at WinStar World Casino and Resort.