NorthWest Style Native Art
About my NW Native Art Style
My interest in Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Art began after retirement, during many trips through the various Native and First Nation cultural centers of Washington, Alaska, and British Columbia. The bold graphic designs of totems and other cultural artifacts were fascinating, and I could not forget about them.
I took many pictures of most of the items that I found interesting, and would pore over them at home. I had a basic drawing program on my Mac computer, was familiar with mechanical drawings, and decided to try my hand at replicating a few designs.
The first designs were simple head profiles like masks, and my intention was to complete the design, and cut or carve it in wood. The first three designs were masks of Raven, Eagle, and Thunderbird, and produced in wood using Intarsia. Intarsia is the woodworking method of cutting the various elements out of different wood colors, and inlaying them like a puzzle.
My skills in drawing bold designs with the computer improved, and I started doing more intricate designs of a variety of subjects along the lines of the old northwest native styles. They were printed on card stock to make note cards to send to friends and family. I purchased books detailing the rules of Northwest Native Art, and studied them regularly to make sense out of the designs I saw, and the designs I was trying to produce.
Somewhere along the line I decided to take a class at a Community College on the Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Art and Culture. I finally learned about what I was doing, and understood why there were differences in styles. Each clan or culture had similar, but different views of the mythology, and different interpretations of the basic rules of the art, passed down through the generations.
I also learned that much of the original art may have been very basic, but contemporary native artists were changing the styles and becoming much more sophisticated in style and production.
My styles then progressed into the interpretation of what I saw in nature, and presenting the subjects more like what is recognizable in real life, but still adhering to the rules of the art.
I took many pictures of most of the items that I found interesting, and would pore over them at home. I had a basic drawing program on my Mac computer, was familiar with mechanical drawings, and decided to try my hand at replicating a few designs.
The first designs were simple head profiles like masks, and my intention was to complete the design, and cut or carve it in wood. The first three designs were masks of Raven, Eagle, and Thunderbird, and produced in wood using Intarsia. Intarsia is the woodworking method of cutting the various elements out of different wood colors, and inlaying them like a puzzle.
My skills in drawing bold designs with the computer improved, and I started doing more intricate designs of a variety of subjects along the lines of the old northwest native styles. They were printed on card stock to make note cards to send to friends and family. I purchased books detailing the rules of Northwest Native Art, and studied them regularly to make sense out of the designs I saw, and the designs I was trying to produce.
Somewhere along the line I decided to take a class at a Community College on the Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Art and Culture. I finally learned about what I was doing, and understood why there were differences in styles. Each clan or culture had similar, but different views of the mythology, and different interpretations of the basic rules of the art, passed down through the generations.
I also learned that much of the original art may have been very basic, but contemporary native artists were changing the styles and becoming much more sophisticated in style and production.
My styles then progressed into the interpretation of what I saw in nature, and presenting the subjects more like what is recognizable in real life, but still adhering to the rules of the art.
How to Purchase my art
Select Contact on the schedule to the left, fill out the form with your name, and e-mail address, then comment on your interest. I will respond as soon as practical.