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The bronze vessel "Guardian of the Waters" was created to show the importance of the small mysterious frog that has always intrigued me.  

My love for the outdoors brought me in close contact with all of the creatures that surrounded me.  Being from a very dry area, I was not accustomed to lakes, rivers, streams or even ponds.  What I did have though was a very large draw that lay on the west side of the land.  In the early spring and summer, the frogs would begin croaking, always after the sun went down.  Then, I could hear the thunder and see the lightning from a distant approaching storm cloud and knew that it was just a matter of time before the rains would come to this hot, dry area.  The draw would catch and hold the water for a short but exciting time and there would be lots of frogs and tadpoles to observe and enjoy.  I discovered over time that the frogs predicted the coming of the rains with their songs.  I especially enjoyed walking around and wading into the water and seeing a flash of motion and hearing a splash.  Then looking around I would see a pair of bright eyes peeping out of the water, watching me with their body hidden, floating, just below the surface of the water.  Then, I would see what seemed like hundreds of little tadpoles swimming in the muddy water.  I always wondered how they had gotten there so fast after the rain.  Also, where had all of the grown frogs been before the rain? 

The vessel that I created reminded me of those childhood days when I waited for the frogs to come.  The body of the vessel is divided into four parts.  Each part has a different symbol of a frog, all different and all unique.  The ideas came from observation, petroglyphs and pictographs, and the varied pottery that I so admired.  On the top of the lid is the frog, sitting on the rocks with the tadpoles swimming in the water below.  The frog seems to be guarding his domain, thus the title of my vessel, "Guardian of the Waters".  This vessel represents a part of my childhood and my more mature appreciation of the wonders of nature.  I hope you enjoy my work.

Jammey Huggins

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Jammey Huggins is a Southwest artist who was born and raised in West Texas. From her life-long interest in Western and Native American memorabilia she has devoted herself to portraying the culture and history of the Southwest. She seeks to recreate the mysticism and spiritualism of the West in her paintings and sculpture. 

Studying, collecting, traveling and exploring the historic ruins of the Southwest and Mexico are sources for her unique creations. Her love of the outdoors has led her to be particularly aware of the many living creatures in her surroundings. Whether at home, with jackrabbits, box turtles, and coyotes, or traveling and observing dolphins, eagles and bison, she realizes that each is individual and possesses unique characteristics. It is the spirit of life and emotion as well as the physical power and sensual form that she tries to capture in each of the animals. The use of the figure is also very prominent in her works. Personality combined with historical accuracy is her goal in creating a life-like sculpture. When viewing her creations, she hopes they will evoke memories and emotions from personal experiences with both wildlife and human beings.

Jammey Huggins began sculpting in 1982. Since that time she has worked with stone, bronze, clay, polymer, and welded sculpture. Her bronze, "Full Circle", won Best of Show at the annual American Plains Artists Show displayed in the Ellen Noel Art Museum. All of her bronze sculptures are cast using the lost wax method. In this way, all of the details in the original are retained in the reproduction. Huggins produces her sculpture in limited editions and keeps the edition numbers low in order to retain the integrity of her work. 

Huggins holds a degree in art from Texas Tech University, with graduate studies at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and Manhattan College. She participates in both invitational and juried shows throughout the Southwest. Her work can be found in both private and corporate collections throughout the United States.