Description: A beautiful 3-dimensional piece with a woman holding a butterfly, as an offering to the blue moon. Native Americans traditions typically track time using twelve specific full moon names per year, in which the ‘Blue Moon’ the third full moon in a calendar year and a rare occurrence.

In Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) tradition, the butterfly is a powerful symbol of transformation, change, and spiritual renewal, representing the soul’s journey and the potential for new beginnings.

Medium: acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Using cloth materials, yarn and beads, to create a collage of ‘Art You Can Touch’.

by Atoni the Artist (Maria McKnight)

YEAR: 2026

SIZE: 24 x 30

TITLE: HOPI HAPPINESS

Description: The Hopi Hand or ‘Healing Hand’ is an ancient Native American symbol featuring a hand with a spiral in the palm, representing healing, protection, and a deep connection to the universe or eternity. Art shows people living as community.

Medium: spray and acrylic paint on canvas; modeling paste to create texture. A large wood piece painted with ink paint and resin.

by Atoni the Artist (Maria McKnight)

YEAR: Year 2026

SIZE: 30 x 48

TITLE: KING PIYE PYRMID

Description: The founder of Egypt's 25th Dynasty was buried in a steep-sided stone pyramid (designed Ku. 1) at the Royal Cemetery of El-Kurru in Sudan around 716 BCE. This revival of pyramid-building marked a shift to Nubian-styled tombs, which featured separate underground burial chambers.

Medium: acrylic and spray paint on canvas. Textured added with modeling past, sand and beading.

by Atoni the Artist (Maria McKnight)

YEAR: 2026

SIZE: 30 x 48

TITLE: NOCTURNAL FISHERMEN

Description: This two piece artwork is showcasing the movement of water at night. Historically, Native Americans utilized torches made from pine pitch or birch bark, often in canoes to attract and disorient fish or spear, net traps to capture. Fishing is an very important part of food sustainability for indigenous people.

*2nd piece is a wood overlay (created using a natural piece out of wood; which hangs above the first piece of artwork creating more dimension and depth).

Medium: spray and acrylic paint on canvas; modeling paste to create texture and resin pour. Background painted using a paper postcard.

By Atoni the Artist (Maria McKnight)

Year: 2026

SIZE: 24 x 30

TITLE: UNIVERSAL SISTERHOOD

Description: These two women are the devoted waters of and keepers of the universe, creating balance and harmony. The “Three Sisters’ Tradition is an Iroquois and Cherokee agricultural practice where corn, beans and squash are planted together to nurture each other, symbolizing deep familial and environmental bonds.

Relating artwork to the Cherokee poem: ‘The Search for the Uktena’.

Medium:  acrylic and spray paint, wood and marbles.

by Atoni the Artist (Maria McKnight)

YEAR: 2026

SIZE: 24 x 30

TITLE: THE MESSAGE

Description: This painting is the manifestation of a dream I had with large glowing planets in the sky on an all black plain. The planets were aluminate with numbers and hieroglyphs, providing the only source of light.

Medium: acrylic and spray paint on canvas to create dimensions using wood and marbles.

by Atoni the Artist (Maria McKnight)

YEAR: 2026

SIZE: 24 x 30