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This vessel was created to honor one of the smallest creatures found in all parts of the world, the mouse.  It is a small furry round bodied creature that has large protruding eyes, extremely large ears, long whiskers and an extra long sometimes hairless tail.  For such a small size it can cause a lot of reactions, both positive and negative.  Some people are deathly afraid of them and others accept them as part of the natural order of nature.

  Their physical characteristics have led them to be considered a humorous symbol and they have been depicted in numerous cartoons in that manner.  All of their features were created for a specific purpose though.  They depend on the use of their whiskers to feel  everything and to get them where they are going.  Even though the mouse has large eyes, he has notably bad vision, can only see 1 to 2 feet away and is color blind.  The protrusion of the eyes however allows them to pick up motion up to 45 feet away.  Excellent hearing is courtesy of their very large ears and their sense of feeling, smelling and tasting are also good.  Their noses guide them in their search of food.

The tiny mouse is one of the Native American's Animal Symbols.  It symbolizes Humility.  It is a very small, humble, innocent and timid creature that hides when approached by humans or animals.  It is very diligent and highly observant.  The mouse finds great importance in things that might seem insignificant to others.  They also tuck things away to examine and explore them carefully at a later time. Even though the mouse is timid, it is very defending of its territory and has a highly developed sense of danger considering the many predators that want to have him for dinner.

This small creature is also a Pathfinder.  They have the ability to adapt to almost any environment, digging intricate underground burrows with long entrances and many escape routes or tunnels.  It seems that the architectural design of the burrow is a genetic trait.  They repeat some of the same trails over and over.  The mouse and his paths can be compared to the human and his life's journey.  The paths that the mouse creates represents the real purpose in life.  There are twists and turns in his path and he has to rely on his instincts and intuitions to make the right turn or decision at the right time.  Since he is small and vulnerable he must watch for narrowing tunnels or dead ends and adjust his path so that he remains on the right path and only has a diversion and not an end to his journey.  We must remember, like the mouse, we never have straight, even paths in our life's journey and we too have to adjust and observe the modern complex world around us if we are to survive, prosper and move forward.

     I hope that you enjoy "The Pathfinder" as much as I enjoyed creating it.

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.