While browsing the internet and visiting the websites of various artists, it is quickly apparent that almost all are well-trained and received their education from the many excellent art schools and university art departments. My art education, on the other hand, has taken a different course and subsequently, it has made me more of a primitive or cultural artist. Actually, I consider myself more of a designer and painter, as opposed to an artist, and since I choose to paint on red cedar, my education has required a different path to follow. My “teachers” were, indirectly, some of the great artists of the Northwest Coast whose art I was exposed to through countless textbooks, wonderful regional museum collections, and the living art experienced while at Neah Bay. My learning came first from observation and then from painting my own designs. It is a process in which I continue to this day.
When I first came to Washington State in the summer of 1974 to attend the Fishtown Archeological Project field school, I was quickly introduced to Northwest Coast Indian art. Shortly thereafter, I purchased my copy of Bill Holm’s seminal book, Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form (©1965) and thus took my first steps towards learning the art. I found that I was immediately drawn to the formal, symbolic aspects of the art, and vowed to learn the design “rules” of this amazing art, with the help of Holm’s book. As with anything self-taught, this was a long process consisting of more failure than success, but it was a starting point. I returned to Washington in the summer of 1975 to continue my archeological field education, this time at the Ozette Dig on the Olympic Peninsula. At Ozette, I continued to try my hand at designing by painting on cotton bed linen.
When I first came to Washington State in the summer of 1974 to attend the Fishtown Archeological Project field school, I was quickly introduced to Northwest Coast Indian art. Shortly thereafter, I purchased my copy of Bill Holm’s seminal book, Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form (©1965) and thus took my first steps towards learning the art. I found that I was immediately drawn to the formal, symbolic aspects of the art, and vowed to learn the design “rules” of this amazing art, with the help of Holm’s book. As with anything self-taught, this was a long process consisting of more failure than success, but it was a starting point. I returned to Washington in the summer of 1975 to continue my archeological field education, this time at the Ozette Dig on the Olympic Peninsula. At Ozette, I continued to try my hand at designing by painting on cotton bed linen.
 THUNDERBIRD October 1975 |  THUNDERBIRD August 1976 |
Rather than copying artworks, I tried to incorporate Northwest Coast design elements in creating my own designs. My incomplete understanding of the design rules is evident, but my efforts were all a part of the learning process. More importantly, while at Ozette, I had the good fortune to make several lasting friendships, and to meet my future wife, Leigh. The strong connections we made with our Makah friends was the driving force that led both Leigh and me to retrain as educators and eventually move to Neah Bay.
Moving to Neah Bay in 1980 was a life-changing experience, to say the least. As a high school math and science teacher, I had very little opportunity to do art. Summer break was the only chance I had to paint, and if I got one art project done per summer, then I was happy. What I did have was the opportunity to learn first-hand about Makah culture, tradition, and values. The people of Neah Bay were so open and giving, and for that we are immensely thankful and eternally grateful. And as such, Neah Bay will always be our home, no matter where we live. We were invited to parties at the community hall commemorating birthdays, weddings, name-giving, and memorials, sometimes lasting to the wee hours of the next morning. We enjoyed Makah Days every August and looked forward to the songs and dances done at that time. It is one thing to see the design on a drum or mask, but it is something truly special to see that drum in use during a family song or see that mask come alive in a dance, as it was intended. I also got to witness many fine artists at work and to see the fruits of their labor. Meanwhile I continued to paint, now on cedar boards, as I attempted to increase my knowledge and refine my technique. My various projects followed the Northwest Coast tradition and were intended to be exercises in learning the different regional art styles. These photos show some of the projects that I completed during this time.
Moving to Neah Bay in 1980 was a life-changing experience, to say the least. As a high school math and science teacher, I had very little opportunity to do art. Summer break was the only chance I had to paint, and if I got one art project done per summer, then I was happy. What I did have was the opportunity to learn first-hand about Makah culture, tradition, and values. The people of Neah Bay were so open and giving, and for that we are immensely thankful and eternally grateful. And as such, Neah Bay will always be our home, no matter where we live. We were invited to parties at the community hall commemorating birthdays, weddings, name-giving, and memorials, sometimes lasting to the wee hours of the next morning. We enjoyed Makah Days every August and looked forward to the songs and dances done at that time. It is one thing to see the design on a drum or mask, but it is something truly special to see that drum in use during a family song or see that mask come alive in a dance, as it was intended. I also got to witness many fine artists at work and to see the fruits of their labor. Meanwhile I continued to paint, now on cedar boards, as I attempted to increase my knowledge and refine my technique. My various projects followed the Northwest Coast tradition and were intended to be exercises in learning the different regional art styles. These photos show some of the projects that I completed during this time.
THUNDERBIRD TRANSFORMATION 1980-82
 Chest Front 1977-1982  WOLF & BEAVER July 1988 |  Chest Back 1977-1982  SISIUTL Summer 1990 |
THUNDERBIRD, WHALE & LIGHTNING SERPENTS July 1992
KILLER WHALE HOUSE Summer 1993
The longer we lived and worked in Neah Bay, and the more we came to learn about and appreciate Makah culture, the more I realized that as a non-native, I really should not be painting in the native tradition. I did not have the rights or privileges to allow me to paint the designs I wanted to create. However, my love for the art had created deep roots within me and had become a part of who I am. I decided that I would keep Northwest Coast formline structure as my foundation, but would abandon the design elements and rules I had tried so hard to learn.
At this same time, we had another cultural experience which was to have a major impact on my designing. In the summer of 1993, Leigh’s mom invited us to join her in a trip to Scotland as an opportunity for Leigh and Jessie to reconnect with their Scottish ancestry. I was taken by the natural beauty of Scotland and amazed at how similar, in many ways, Scotland was to the Pacific Northwest. Maybe it’s my anthropology training, but I immediately began to delve into Scottish culture and history. I began to view Celtic art as another expression of the formline structure so important in Northwest Coast art. The Book of Kells and other great illuminated manuscripts became my new models and inspiration for my designs. I also looked at Pictish carving on standing stones and the Celtic stone crosses of Scotland for ideas and design elements. We were able to visit many places on our next four trips to Scotland and it was very helpful towards my continuing art education. Thus, while still living in Neah Bay but with the addition of biennial trips to Scotland, my plan became the development of a hybrid/fusion art style using Celtic design elements overlapping a Northwest Coast formline structure.
In the summer of 1994 I took my first steps in moving away from Northwest Coast Indian Art by painting a large screen showing Leigh under cedar branches with a hawk. It still had a stronger connection to the art than I hoped, but it was a start.
At this same time, we had another cultural experience which was to have a major impact on my designing. In the summer of 1993, Leigh’s mom invited us to join her in a trip to Scotland as an opportunity for Leigh and Jessie to reconnect with their Scottish ancestry. I was taken by the natural beauty of Scotland and amazed at how similar, in many ways, Scotland was to the Pacific Northwest. Maybe it’s my anthropology training, but I immediately began to delve into Scottish culture and history. I began to view Celtic art as another expression of the formline structure so important in Northwest Coast art. The Book of Kells and other great illuminated manuscripts became my new models and inspiration for my designs. I also looked at Pictish carving on standing stones and the Celtic stone crosses of Scotland for ideas and design elements. We were able to visit many places on our next four trips to Scotland and it was very helpful towards my continuing art education. Thus, while still living in Neah Bay but with the addition of biennial trips to Scotland, my plan became the development of a hybrid/fusion art style using Celtic design elements overlapping a Northwest Coast formline structure.
In the summer of 1994 I took my first steps in moving away from Northwest Coast Indian Art by painting a large screen showing Leigh under cedar branches with a hawk. It still had a stronger connection to the art than I hoped, but it was a start.
LEIGH with a HAWK Summer 1994
My first truly hybrid design was painted on a drum made by Makah artist Melissa Peterson. The design was of a capercaillie, a large grouse-like bird that is native to the Scottish highlands. The design was to honor my favorite Scottish trad band, Capercaillie and was a fitting musical tribute in that it was a Celtic design strongly influenced by The Book of Kells but painted on a Makah drum. This exemplified the direction I wanted my art to take.
CAPERCAILLIE DRUM Summer, 1995
Other designs soon followed as I tried to develop a style that would be true to my deep love for Northwest Coast art but incorporate my growing love for Scottish music, culture, art, and history.
MOCKINGBIRD “FAILTE” WELCOME SIGN Summer, 1999
LOONS Summer, 2000
Our Scottish connections only got stronger as our daughter Jessie was accepted to The Glasgow School of Art in 2000. Upon graduating from Neah Bay High School, she moved to Glasgow and through her experience, I began to learn about the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. This led me to learn more about the British Arts & Crafts/Art Nouveau Movement, and from that, I was introduced to a whole new realm of inspiration by British designers Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott, Charles Francis Voysey, and especially Archibald Knox. The final piece of the puzzle also came to me from the Arts & Crafts Movement; my rekindling of a long-standing love affair with Japanese art.
All of these elements today form the basis of my art. It is an art education that will be ongoing as long as I paint—and it is a course whose direction I am excited to follow.
All of these elements today form the basis of my art. It is an art education that will be ongoing as long as I paint—and it is a course whose direction I am excited to follow.
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