The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-12
BRIGHT EYES.
An Indian Woman Who Paints
and Writes,

VOAAASSA w 11O L Gtt1lVS
and Writes.
The Chicago Chronicle publishes the
following article upon Bright Eyes
of Lincoln, Neb:
The Omaha exposition has been the
means of bringing recognition to a
remarkable genius in the art world.
The conditions n circumstances sur
rounding the rise of the new star were
work, her admirers are almost inclined
to call her a freak. The new painter
and sketch artist is an Indian woman,
who spent all of her early life with the
tribe Of Indians of the Omaha nation,
of which her father was chief. There
was French blood in the veins of the
woman and she had besides her In
dian name q. French one as we'll. Her
Indian name vas 1nshta Theambra,
meaning bright eyes, and her French
name was Susette La F1esche. BY her
marriage to a white man she has now
increased this last name by the addi-
ton of Tibbles.
The startling feature of Mrs. Tib-
bles' rise as an artist was her first per-
Torrance, which produced %astonish-
ton. Without yer having had a les
son without practice or development
Of any character, she sat down before
an easel and painted a picture that
was near perfection in drawing, color
and perspective. About a year ago
Mrs. Tibbles. who, by the way, has an
international reputation as a speaker
on Indian topics, expressed a desire
to make On effort to paint a picture.
Apparently she became suddenly pos
sessed Of the idea that she could re-
produce scenes and faces on canvas,
Notwithstanding the fact that she had
never had a brush in her hand. A
friend gave her a number of tubes Of
paint, several brushes and a palette.
Mrs. Tibbles set a table out in the mid
fancy china bowl, a white napkin and
the pieces of an orange which she had
cut up. She arranged the objects very
artistically for a study and sat down
n began painting. Her friends stood
by, expecting to see the Indian tyro
make a terrible botch Of the whole
business. She was astonished to see
Mrs. Tibbles paint a perfect picture of
the study, the beginner accomplishing
the feat without the least instruction
or suggestion.
This painting, which is said to be the
first real art work ever done by an
American Indian, was painted several
months ago in Lincoln, Neb., which
city is the home of Mrs. Tibbles. The
unheard-of performance of the artist
ever having had a single art lesson
soon became noised about the town
and people came flocking in to see the
painting. Among others who came
was the head Of the art department of
the state university located in Lincoln.
in the picture on account Of the cir
cumstances attending it's production
and he was still more interested in the
artist who possessed such unusual
talents. He persuaded the woma to
take art lessons at the university. Mrs.
Tibbles entered classes in which were
students who had been studying art
three Or four years, but despite this
difference in opportunities for advance
ment the Indian was soon at the head
of all her classes.
In her few months of training Mrs,
Tibbles has illustrated a book, which
has just been published. The book is
entitled "Oo-Mah-Ha Ta-Wa-Tha,'
which. being translated, means Omaha
city. The work is evidently apropos the
Omaha exposition. It is dedicated to the
memory of the Omaha Indians, the
tribe after which the city was named.
The book is devoted to Indian folklore
and historical sketches. Mrs. Tibbles
has Illustrated the work most profusely
with sketches Of Indian life, portraits
companying her different stories and
chapters. Experts and critics nave pro-
nounced her work to be hat of an un-
usually talented and cultivated person.
Many who have seen the clever sketches
were very hard to convince that these
were the work of a beginner who had
received comparatively no training.
Two Of her pictures of Indian types
are faily well reproduced in colors in
the little volume.
Some years ago the Indian maiden
was married to T. H. Tibbles, a most
eloquent and fiery populist orator. 1t
was Mr.. Tibbles who gave William Jen-
nings Bryan his first lessons in free
silver. The orator is very widely known