Beatien Yazz facts for kids

Beatien Yazz (born March 5, 1928), also known as Jimmy Toddy, is a famous Navajo American painter. He was born near Wide Ruins, Arizona. Yazz showed his art all over the world. He is well-known for his paintings of animals and people. He also illustrated books for children. Some of his artworks are kept in important museums. These include the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Gilcrease Museum.

Discovering Beatien Yazz's Early Talent

How Jimmy Toddy Began Painting

Yazz was born to Joe and Desbah Toddy. This was on the Navajo Reservation near Wide Ruins, Arizona. He often used his English name, Jimmy Toddy. He was also called Bea Etin Yazz, which means "Little No Shirt" in the Navajo tongue.

Even as a young child, he loved to color with crayons. He really enjoyed making art. Bill and Sallie Lippencott ran the Wide Ruins Trading Post. They saw how talented he was and helped him with his art. Yazz first showed his work when he was just 10 years old. His paintings were displayed at a museum in Springfield, Illinois.

Beatien Yazz's Schooling

Yazz went to the Wide Ruins Day School first. Then he spent two years at the Santa Fe Indian School. After that, he studied for three years at Fort Wingate Indian School. He also spent one year at the Sherman Indian High School.

Serving in World War II

During World War II, Yazz joined the United States Marine Corps. He was very young, so he changed his age to serve. He became a Code talker. This meant he used his knowledge of the Navajo language to send secret messages.

After the war, he returned home. He then focused completely on his art. In the late 1940s, he received a special scholarship. This allowed him to study painting at Mills College for a summer. During this time, he learned to paint with oil paint using live models.

Beatien Yazz's Art Career

Life as a Full-Time Artist

For a while, Yazz worked as a police officer in Fort Defiance, Arizona. He also taught art at Carson Indian School. But for most of his adult life, he worked full-time as an artist.

Yazz painted things he knew well. His style was flat and colorful, with simple backgrounds. He often used casein paint for his artworks. His paintings were known for showing "the natural movement of light and air with powerful drama."

Gaining Fame and Recognition

By the 1950s, Yazz became very popular with art collectors. A writer named Alberta Hannum wrote two popular books about his life. Yazz himself drew the pictures for these books.

The first book was Spin a Silver Dollar (1944). It told the story of his early life and meeting the Lippencotts. The second book, Paint the Wind (1958), continued his story as a young adult. Spin a Silver Dollar was even made shorter for Reader's Digest. It was also featured on a radio show called Cavalcade of America.

Other Art Projects

Besides selling his paintings, Yazz also created art for special requests. He made some tiles for Gila Pottery. He designed fabric for a company called Tumble-weed Prints. His artwork was also used on greeting cards for several companies.

One of his most famous paintings was used by the music group The Eagles. It was on the front cover of their 1974 album, On The Border.

Challenges with Eyesight

By the 1970s, Yazz started to have serious eye problems. His eyesight got worse. Because of this, Yazz was not able to paint after 1991.

In 1983, Yazz worked with Sallie Wagner and J.J. Brody. They published a book called Yazz: Navajo Painter. This book shared his life story and included many of his illustrations.

Beatien Yazz's Books

• Spin a Silver Dollar (1944), by Alberta Hannum
• Paint the Wind (1958), by Alberta Hannum
• Yazz: Navajo Painter (1983), with Sallie Wagner and J.J. Brody