Tony Weldon is of Cherokee descent, and his painstaking research into his family history led him to begin drawing and sketching Native Americans.  "I have a feeling for and an understanding of Native Americans," says Tony.  And it shows in every heartfelt detail of his tremendously precise pencil work.
          Tony's pencil drawing, "Learning to Fly", is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.  Although Tony's work marries thorough historical research with a highly developed artistic technique, there's another dimension.  "They tell a story," he says.  "They convey a feeling or an event."  And the works don't come easily.  "It takes me three to four weeks to complete a pencil sketch and 2 1/2 months to complete an acrylic painting."
          Tony's art work is his way of keeping alive a heritage and culture that is too valuable to forget.  "I'd like to leave a legacy so that in the future, people will be able to look back at these pictures to help us remember and appreciate our heritage".