A Salida Artist Designs Horseshoes Meant to Ward Off Bad Energy
Hannah Tidechild, owner of Embellished Organics, makes art using mosaics, animal skulls and organic materials
Salida artist Hannah Tidechild found her passion in mosaics. Her company Embellished Organics facilitates works of art around large animal skulls meant to be displayed in homes. Tidechild’s newest line of embellished horseshoes is intended to hang on front doors in an upwards “U” shape to attract positive energy.
“I’m all about good juju,” says Tidechild. “I fully believe in the attraction of positive energy into my surroundings and repelling the opposite.” Her strong belief in positivity has precipitated many intrinsic creative projects throughout her home. Stationed throughout her space are mosaic eyeballs as a play on the evil eye talisman and her haint blue porch ceiling, a Lowcountry tradition established by the Gullah people to keep evil spirits at bay.
The common thread throughout Tidechild’s work is a connection to animals and mother nature. Sourcing her canvas from bison, deer and elk, her art is always one of a kind. “Good JuJu Shoes evolved out of inspiration from these majestic animals.,” she explains. Living in Salida has a considerable influence on her work. “Being so far from any big city, I have to get creative with sourcing materials,” she explains. “I find that the people here come together and give what they can.”
When sourcing materials for her latest line, Tidechild finds herself all over Salida. “I visit gem and mineral shows, thrift stores and estate sales,” she says. Tidechild finds the beauty in being resourceful. “Recently, a family of farriers gifted me an array of retired horseshoes.” It didn’t take long for the artist to turn them into a creative endeavor. She says she doesn’t plan out her designs but rather indulges in the act of creating. “It grounds me,” she explains. “Typically, I’ll sit down and begin with one or two elements that speak to me and get lost in it. It’s a meditative process.”
