JD Challenger was born in Oklahoma with a creative fire that first began to smolder when he was a young child. After moving to Taos, New Mexico, Challenger enjoyed success as a landscape painter. In the meantime, privately, he was drawing and painting his major interest – Native Americans – although he didn't want to show his paintings in public for fear of offending a people he greatly admired. Working in oils and acrylics on canvas, as well as watercolors, he found that his style continued to emerge as his passion grew.

Upon witnessing a Ghost Dance ceremony being filmed for a movie, Challenger came face to face with his mission in life. "As I stood there watching the chanting and the dancing,” he says, “I knew what I wanted to paint. Nothing had ever been clearer." His wife, Denise, encouraged him to show his work to his Native American friends, one of whom was a holy man. When he did so, he received their blessing and was told, "There has to be a messenger, and he doesn't have to be one of our People. The Creator chooses His own messengers. Your path is to tell our story and educate people about the past and about what is happening today."

Challenger takes his role seriously, but modestly declines credit for his remarkable gifts. "The thing I do best is paint. I prefer to look at it as 'not me' doing it, I'm just the instrument. The Creator, the brush, the paint, and then me."

Our collection of JD's work represents the first time he has lent his talents to doing figurines and busts. The results are striking and truly remarkable. All our current offerings are First Edition work, which makes them even more collectible. The figurines are also sized perfectly to be collected with the ponies from The Trail of Painted Ponies collection, and many of our customers are doing just that.

Christmas is Here! is proud to carry his work.