Where Are They Now? Michael Naranjo

WHERE ARE THEY NOW…….
Michael A. Naranjo grew up on tribal land in Northern New Mexico. His mother was a potter, and it was through experimenting with her clay that he began the creative journey that would become his life. Ever since childhood, Michael had dreams of becoming a sculptor.

In 1967, at the age of 22, Michael was drafted into the US Army, and sent to Vietnam. On January 8, 1968, Michael’s platoon was caught in an ambush in an open rice field. Michael was hit by a grenade and would never see again. Both eyes were enucleated and he lost most of the use of his right hand. Rather than deter Michael, however, his injury made him more determined to fulfill his childhood dream. He began sculpting again while lying in a hospital bed in Japan, waiting to heal. Michael began simply, by “creating” a worm — basically, starting over.

Some of you may remember Michael when he came to teach at Camp Brotherhood in 2002 He is a gifted teacher and impacted many of us who had the opportunity of working with him.

“…Regarding ‘tools’ or ‘things to bring’, I always have my ‘tools’ with me, as I basically use my fingers and sense of touch; I rarely use conventional tools because I can’t always tell what the tool “sees”. I need to be in constant contact with my material, and though I encourage participants in my workshop to join me in this experience, participants are certainly welcome to use whatever else they are most comfortable with. Things that you need to bring to my workshop: your thoughts, your memories, your feelings, and, of course, your creative energy are all we really need to create.” – Michael

Michael’s daughter, Jenna, is making a feature film about Michael and his life as a sculptor working against-all-odds. To view a five minute preview, go to: http://www.DreamTouchBelieve.com

Googling Michael turns up many links, including: http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa116.shtml

Email Michael directly at: naranjostudio@hotmail.com