Qaqaq Ashoona was a son of the famous Inuit artist Pitseolak Ashoona.
Qaqaq Ashoona was born in Ikirasak, Nunavut Territory in the year 1928. The artist began life as a hunter and trapper. He turned to art to make a living in 1953.
Ashoona used only hand tools to make his wonderful carvings.
His wife was also a well respected Inuit artist, Mayoreak Ashoona. She was a renown printmaker already featured here.
The artist passed away in 1996.
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Qaqaq Ashoona put great detail in his art. I enjoy his interpretations of the Goddess of the Sea, Sedna. They show a great sense of creativity and the sculptures have a great sense of life and animation.
Francis Horne Sr. is a self taught first nations artist renown for his work with masks and totem poles. Francis Horne was born in Mount Vernon, Washington in the year 1954.
Horne represents is a member of the First Nations family the Coast Salish.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
The artist began carving in 1973.
Horne, in a similar manner of the Inuit people, sometimes uses items in his work that cannot be removed from Canada such as whalebone. Make sure to review your mask or totem from this artist to make sure it can be shipped to your house!
I enjoy the animated qualities and sense of life that comes through the masks and totem poles of this artist.
The artist is now based out of Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.
Herbert (Andy) Anderson was an American artist renown his wood carvings of the classic American West. Andy Anderson was born in Chicago, Illinois in the year 1893.
Andy Anderson left home and began to earn a living working as a cowboy at the young age of sixteen. Bored on the ranch he found a very homily cowboy who visited the ranch and thought this cowboy would make a great wood carving. Anderson carved it and it turned out great, an artist was born!
Anderson moved back to California in the late 1920s and the artist flourished producing many new caricatures and was able to earn a full time living from his carvings.
Anderson’s most popular figure is a carving named Sad Eyed Joe. The artist is pictured below with this carving which can be found at Knotts Berry Farm.
A former cabinet member even presented American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt with a carving by Andy Anderson.
Andy Anderson passed away in 1960.
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In this clip a brief biography on the back ground of Sad Eyed Joe and interview with an owner of Knott’s Berry Farm:
Rupert Scow was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada in the year 1957. Scow comes from a family tree full of artists including Mungo Martin. Scow represents the Kwakwaka’wakw of the First Nations Tribes.
The artist attended the Native Education College located Vancouver, British Columbia.
Scow works mainly as a carver of masks and totem poles. He has studied with many artists profiled here including Wayne Alfred.
What I enjoy most about this artist is his great use of color. Where as many masks seem to use the traditional black and red, Scows works stands out in a gallery with his great use of color and the unique and very expressive masks he produces. His characters have very individual expressions, its as if he has captured the spirit of someone rather than a likeness.
From the Museum of Anthropology a brief segment on the artist:
Carol Young Bagshaw is a Haida artist renown for her carving skills. Carol Young Bagshaw was born Carol Young in the year 1953.
The artist represents the Eagle Clan.
What I enjoy most about this artist is her statement ,” Art gives my life meaning and purpose.” What a great artistic statement!
The artist is attending the Freda Diesing School of NorthWest Coast Art located in Terrace, British Columbia. She has won awards for being a great mature artist. Someone older than the normal student who shows great promise in becoming a professional artist.
She is renown for her carvings of various sizes. In 2000 she began to carve small figures, bowls, and canoes. Now masks are her favorite subject matter. The artist has enjoyed a life long love of working with the figure.
She usually works on a few masks at a time.
An image of a traditional First Nations woman is being used by the country of Canada for use on a coin that can be purchased in silver or gold.
Carol Young Bagshaw is based out of Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Below a link to the website of Carol Young Bagshaw:
Joe Wilson is a First Nations artist representing the Kwakwaka’ wakw people. Joe Wilson was born in Alert Bay, Canada in the year 1966.
The artist had loved to create since he was a young man and became inspired by taking a course from another First Nations artist named Douglas Cranmer. The course was a birthday present from his sister. Way to go sis!
Wilson was mentored by two other First Nations artist profiled here Wayne Alfred and Beau Dick.
Many of his masks are a combination of cedar and horse hair.
Price range information: sorry none available.
An added note, if you ever visit the Denver Art Museum be sure and check out the fifth floor where you can see many of the First Nations artists profiled here and also a few Inuit works.
Wilson has a knack for giving his masks a real sense of life. His printmaking skills show a wonderful sense of design and use of color. My favorite prints are the ones that include two First Nations symbols such as thunderbird and killer whale.
Nathan Jackson is a First Nations artist representing the Sockeye clan of the Chilkoot Tlingit people. Nathan Jackson was born in 1938. Jackson renown for his totem poles but like many First Nations artists is capable of working in any size and any medium.
The artist served in the military.
When he was a young man Jackson began a career as a commercial fisherman. He became ill with pneumonia and spent time in hospital and was unable to fish. During this time he began carving small totem poles.
Jackson attended the Institute of the American Indian Arts located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The artist is also a wonderful teacher and educator who enjoys passing on his skills and sense of culture to the younger generation.
Jackson is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
He and his family live in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Below an interview with Nathan Jackson that took place in 1976:
Jackson is a very accomplished artist in any medium he chooses.
Patrick Amos is a First Nations representing the Mowachat band of the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation. Patrick Amos was born on Nookta Island in British Columbia, Canada in the year 1957. Amos is a very prolific artist working as a carver, sculptor, producer of masks, drums, maker of boxes, and printmaker.
He began his career studying with master First Nations artist Tony Hunt Sr.
In this clip a brief interview with the artist and some of his works. He began carving before he was a teen and he shares his painting process:
Patrick Amos has worked at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Here he has worked with First Nations artist Tim Paul. One collaboration was for a 36 foot totem pole for the Maori people of New Zealand.
Amos has also taught classes about Native Canadian Art at the collegiate level. Amos has taught at the Duquaht School of Art located in Ucelet, British Columbia since the early 1990s.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Patrick Amos is one of my favorite First Nations artist mainly for his design skills. The interesting idea of including a human face on the frog in the gallery I found very interesting. Amos reminds me of the American painter Beverly Doolittle. Doolittle paints the scenes of the American West that often have faces of people hidden in the landscape.
I enjoy the mediums explored by the artist. What a multi talented master artist! It’s great to see someone so talented teaching at the collegiate level.
Eyeetsiak Peter was an Inuit artist born in Cape Dorset, Nunavut Territory, Canada in the year 1937. Eyeetsiak Peter was part of the first Cape Dorset print collection in the year 1961.
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Peter was both a printmaker and carver. In his later he became known for his fantastic polar bears.
Eyeetsiak Peter passed away in 2011.
Peter was yet another wonderful Inuit artist who was a great graphic artist who also did wonderful carvings. By exaggerating and capturing the movement in the legs his polar bears have a very life like quality.
The artist is shown with many Inuit artists in Vancouver, Montreal, and Winnipeg.
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