Here is a selection of works by Wayne Price, John Hagen, and Clifford Thomas, Lingit Master Carvers of Haines, Alaska. All of these pieces were painted by me.

 

I had the great honor of serving as painter to these artists for three winters beginning in 2001. As such, I had to become well-versed in Lingit art and learn the unique poetry of each artist's individual style. When it came time to decorate a carving or drum, they gave me rough sketches of their designs, which I did my best to refine and execute in heir individual styles. Needless to say, I had the time of my life and received a priceless education, though I remained frustrated in my attempts to become as good a painter as these masters are. I was never able to match the calligraphic finesse of their painting.

 

At the time, all three artists did their work at the studios of Alaska Indian Arts, Inc. in Haines. While there, I usually worked among the carvers in the main carving shop, unless the painting task at hand was so exacting that I had to escape the pounding and noise. This way I also received an education in carving and tool making, enough to allow me to struggle through the making of several carvings of my own.

 

It's important to note that this was only a very minor introduction into the world of the Northwest Coast carver: as Wayne, John, and Clifford agree, it takes about fifteen years of apprenticeship and serious work to approach the accomplishment for which the appellation "Master" is accorded. The Master and apprenticeship tradition is ancient and still vital in the Northwest Coast art world.

 

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