"Thunderbird and Killerwhale"
Commissioned by private client.
H. 6ft.....Carved from clear, vertical grained Western Red Cedar.
The Thunderbird and Killerwhale is probably one of the most common themes in Northwest Coast Native Art. However, the configuration of this design is quite innovative, as is the method used to fabricate it.
The cedar planks are three fourths of an inch thick, laminated edge to edge and fastened to a crowned wooden frame, invisible to the eye. This gives the whole a somewhat more three dimensional appearance.
The Thunderbird's legs and beak are additions. This technique is referred to as a sculptural intrusion.
"Jayhawker"
Purchased by a private client.
H. 12ft........Carved from clear Western Red Cedar. Acrylic paint.
The characters on this sculpture are the Sun, Stellars Jay, two Red Tailed Hawks on the arms of a carver who is a caricature of myself wearing a Meti style tunic and holding two adzes, a "D" adze and an "elbow" adze.
The tunic is a stylised representation of one that I commissioned from Angela Swedberg, who is in my opinion, the best "quiller" and "beader" on the continent.
Near the base of the sculpture, a Hawk's face fills the ovoid shaped hip joint of the Jay. The Hawks legs are an addition.
I have used this theme on many of my pieces since 1980. Read description for "Jay Rattle" on the "Rattles" page and "Hawk Chest" on the "Boxes" page on this website.
"Nuxw'Qeeyt"
Commissioned by the Port Gamble Tribe.
Length.......36ft., width........5ft 5in..........Constructed with 1 in. x 2 in. clear Red Cedar strips over Douglas Fir ribs.
It is possible to make a canoe using this technique without any compromise to the integrity of the traditional form. You may enjoy reading about the technique in "Tsub Quaq'witl" on the "Canoes" page
This canoe is the third commissioned from the Port Gamble S'klallam tribe. The first being carved from a single log for the "Paddle to Seattle" in 1989. You can read a little about this also, on the "Canoes" page on this website.
The form of this canoe follows that which is variously referred to as the "Salish", "Straights", or "S'klallam" canoe design first seen by the Spanish explorers to our area in the eighteenth century.
Traditionally speaking, there are some variations on this design. The smaller ones called "Snuqwtl" by the S'klallams and "Sda'witl" by the Lashootseed of lower Puget Sound ranged from about twelve feet in length to maybe twenty feet and had a fairly low profile with very little rake. In other words there was very little upward sweep to the bow and stern. Craft with these lines were used in fairly protected waters.
There was a larger type called "Stiwal" by both the S'klallams and Lashootseed and ranged up to possibly forty feet in length. These were used to transport many people to potlatches, carry freight and go to war.
Today they are used to participate in the annual "Tribal Canoe Journeys" and are a vessel carrying tradition and the spirit of the people.
