From the Text:

An Education in Sandpainting
In the following account, Eugene Baatsoslanii Joe describes how he first learned the art and then developed his own style.

The first stage of my education in sandpainting came from amusing myself as a young child with drawing. My tools were my fingers and the drawing surface was the desert sand covering Mother Earth. I had the glorious light from Father Sky to light my childish artistic attempts. Subject matter was no problem as there was the world of nature surrounding me to select from.

My Father saw my interest, and thus began my formal instruction in traditional sandpainting under his patient tutelage. At first my tasks were menial: grinding the rocks of various colors, keeping the workshop clean, and preparing the boards for the painting he did. Like most apprentices, I found the work tedious, but I quickly learned that they were a necessary part of the whole proceedure and would result in a beautiful creation. All forms of art demand discipline if pride in good craftsmanship is to be developed, and sandpainting is no execption.

Of course, physical labor was only one element of my instruction. I would carefully listen to my father's spiritual instruction, which was the most essential element. He instilled in me the feelings of reverence, pride, and beauty in the traditional sandpaintings. I worked under his guidance for twelve years. As I became older I sought out others, particularly artist (not exclusively Indian), who were willing to share their ideas and knowledge in order to enrich my training. My quest seemed insatiable: as I began to ally myself with these people, I found myself yearning to learn ever more. My friends were generous with their time and talents; I shall forever be indebted to them and to my father, my family and my people. My greatest desire is to preserve this traditional native craft with all the reverence it deserves, indeed demands, and also to present it in a manner for all to receive pleasure from it.