Bringer of Night

25"h x 22"w
Edition of 94

$150.00 USD

In my teachings of the old stories there are many that reference a time before the sun and moon were in place in the sky world. It is quite hard to imagine what the world looked like then, but in a dream I saw the sky as a blank white slate--as if it were but a giant void. In this dream I realized that what I was seeing was what the world might once have been. At the moment of realization a giant bird flew before me, filling up the sky and bringing color to it. It was twilight in transition and it was a miraculous sight. Though to my knowledge there is no story of such a bird, I felt compelled to express it somehow through the medium of a print.

Falling In Love

24”h x 21 ¾”w
 Edition of 90

SOLD OUT

Eagles have long been known as a subject matter that artists of the Northwest Coast have frequently referenced for inspiration. Such is the case for this serigraph titled “Falling in Love”. As can be seen in pictures, television documentaries, or for those fortunate enough, in person; eagles are known to lock their talons as part of a courtship display in the early spring. This graceful dance in the sky has been said to take place as early as mid to late February. Eagles mate for life and in most cases return to the very area from which their courtship in the air was initiated. 
The inspiration for this design comes from the carving on an old wooden disc, known to the Southern Northwest Coast people as a spindle whorl. The image on the whorl represents two birds carved in low relief Coast Salish style. Spindle whorls were used to spin wool into yarn, which was then taken and woven into a blanket, worn by high ranking individuals and signifying their status. Highly decorated spindle whorls are not common today, and are a vital object of study for Southern Northwest Coast artists who are attempting to re-establish the traditional art forms of this region. 
Vibrant red and contrasting black colors are used to express concepts that are rooted centuries back here on the coast, as well as to serve as a visual communication in which these two miraculous beings are engaged. The rush of blood throughout the body and feelings of fluster are emotions that one can identify with upon meeting ones partner in life.  This representation of two Eagles seems to be no different than that, I believe, as love is a universal understanding.

Embracing the Moon

27 1/2"h x 21 1/2"w
 Edition of 90

SOLD OUT

Unlike many of the other legends I portray in my work I was not introduced to the legend of Wolf and Moon as a child, but much later in life.  Soon after I focused my attention on Native Art, an elder explained to me the importance of Wolf and his ties to the Moon. I felt an immediate resonance with the story and its characters.  Wolf has fascinated me from the time I was a child. My earliest drawings were pencil sketches of him.  This piece is my interpretation of this tale.
Long ago, when the earth was young, each spirit came forward and claimed a role in the world: Cedar, Salmon, Eagle, and so forth.  Man arrived late to this world, being last of all the spirits to take form.  Man found himself wandering about without a clue as to how or what he should do here. His clumsy attempts to provide for himself were amusing to the spirits around him, except to this new arrival.  Wolf decided to take it upon himself to befriend this stranger and teach him the uses of the cedar tree.  The process of taking the bark and using it for clothing that shed the rain and the tree itself that provided for the canoes that later became the staple of travel for our people.  He also went on to teach man to fish and hunt as well.  As his skills grew, man departed from Wolf and built villages.
Time passed and a leader was conceived from the union of Human and Star, to rise from the people.  He was known as Dakwibalth (the Changer/Transformer). Dakwibalth went on to do great things for the people of Puget Sound, but he eventually began to miss his celestial origin, the Sky World.  He made plans to find a wife before he returned to his home. After much searching, Dakwibalth found a worthy wife and realized he had one last concern before he left for the Sky World.  “Who will carry on to watch over the people?” He remembered hearing long ago of how Wolf had taken care of man in the beginning, and Dakwibalth, being half human, felt indebted to Wolf. 
After seeking out Wolf, Dakwibalth asked him to carry on the guardianship of the people.  Wolf proudly accepted this task.  Dakwibalth said, “I will shine bright in the night sky so you can see me and tell me of how my people are doing.” with this, Dakwibalth turned to the sky and became what we know today as Moon.  And so when the Moon shines full, Wolf sings to him to let him know what has taken place in the passing days.

Journey Towards Inner Strength

22 1/2"h x 20"w
 Edition of 150

When I had become more comfortable in my design abilities as an artist I began to apply deeper content in my work. About this time I connected with some personal experiences for subject matter.My late grandfather, Thomas Peterson Sr. spoke seldom of Indian life but when he did I paid close attention. A particular discussion between us took place at a time when he was 100 years of age and myself, twenty-five. He shared with me a tradition he learned of from Tulalip elders when he was in his twenties.The tradition related to a coming of age and confronting your fears. A man, he said, would journey by canoe alone to Comano Island on the Tulalip reservation. It is an island comprised of a low sunken middle which is said to be a village buried by an earthquake. There, spirits roam with great power and among them dwelled a double headed serpent. In his time there the man would eventually confront this being or spirit to come to peace with his fears.This shared information meant the world to me. So little is known about old traditions and oral history has nearly become extinct with the loss of our language. This somehow survived and I cherish that moment with my grandfather.This print commemorates that tradition and gives life to the sea being that embodies our fears. It gives way to the concept of our ancestors that we must find strength in what is unknown and accept what is beyond our powers to change, thus that in and of itself is a power few can truly possess.

First Fisherman

22 1/2"h x 21 3/4"w
Edition of 95

$125.00 USD

First Fisherman is part of a series of prints that explore the relationship between the first peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast and the salmon.  This Particular print is partly based on an existing theme of a bird catching a marine animal in some cases it is Thunderbird catching a Whale.  However, in this print it is Eagle catching salmon.  I grew up on the Puyallup River spending much time there with my grandfather and though the sight of an Eagle wasn’t common it made the experience that much more significant when you did.  I used to ride my bike along the river in the summertime when the sun was setting a lot.  One particular evening the distance I looked down to the sand bar.  I could see this massive eagle feasting on a salmon.  It seemed momentous and being that I was only around ten or eleven at the time made that eagle seem that much bigger when I see it in my mind now. I think about the Salmon and what it has long provided for our people not only as food but as a source of art and appreciation of life.  This particular design was used in a different version for a blanket produced by the Pendleton Company for the Puyallup Tribe to represent the people and what seemed most appropriate as a theme was this very idea. Eagle is honored for his power and skills, as he is the First Fisherman.

Moonchild Guardians

27 1/2"h x 21 1/2"w
Edition of 90

This design was inspired by an old ceremonial rattle from Coast Salish territory. In my interpretations, I often visually symbolize family connections by joining the two. This was also done in my previous print, Wolf Brothers. The two birds seen here represent my Grandmother and Mother. The central figure is a self portrait, depicting me as a child. When I was young my mother was a single parent and I spent much time with my grandparents, hence my close ties to my grandmother.
Looking back over time at my childhood I realize how protected I was, shielded from the outside by my family and specifically my grandmother and mother. Their intentions were good, as with most family when it comes to children, and it is something I can now appreciate as a parent looking out for the best interest of my own son. This print honors and pays tribute to the sacrifice my family has made for me to be who I am today, an artist of my people.

Mother & Child

22 1/2"h x 14 3/4"w
Edition of 80

SOLD OUT

Mother and Child is part of a series of prints that explore the relationship between the first peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast and the salmon. As a person of Puyallup and Tulalip decent I often hear us referred to as the “Salmon People”.  Not only is it a main staple in our diet it serves a significant role in our cultural practices and teachings as well.  It is the remarkable sense of “survival” that has us identify with them. Just as the salmon have endured many struggles so have our Native people. And just as their numbers have fallen so have our Native peoples.  In this print I have characterized a Mother and daughter in the form of salmon in a red circle.  The defining trait of the female is marked by the negative oval space in the lower portion of the mouth opening. The mother faces the daughter as if to see what struggles lay ahead of her in a salmon’s life of survival.  There are many struggles ahead of her and there will be much to overcome.  This bears true for many of our Native women today as well.  There are many single mothers who look to their daughters who will have to overcome many obstacles in life.  It is this importance for cultural sensitivity and support that is needed for the generation to become strong.  So as the growing concern for the dwindling numbers of salmon raises so should our concern for the well being of our future generations and what will be expected of them for their children.

Moving Forward

20 1/2"h x 15"w
Edition of 150

SOLD OUT

For centuries the art of the Salish people has been primarily used in a ceremonial context with representation of spirit figures and personal guardians. Today the art style's revival has undergone a great deal of change, which may be due to the loss of language and mere cultural knowledge. As a direct result of this, many of the artists today draw from the aesthetic form. However, this is not to say that the art is without cultural  merit or value by any means. It is very much alive,  seen in a new light, by new eyes.
My personal views on the art I make today is to simply make the work relevant to the present. Many of us do not know a great deal of the old stories and songs. We have been removed from that very way of life. There is a longing to know it by many, but it is simply impossible to go back in time and learn traditions lost.
With what art has survived I have attempted to make a connection to utilize the traditional shapes and forms to say something I feel is relevant to the world today. This print matter is no exception to that objective.
In this print a father and young daughter are depicted. The father is arched as if to rise up and push his child forward. He shows his support swimming under her. The use of Salmon as the subject relates to how we as Salish people see ourselves, the Salmon People. A great parallel exists in it, mostly now, a dwindling populous fighting to survive.
One can look past species and cultural context to identify what is human about the concept here. It is instinctual for all beings to care for their young, to pride them into high esteem and achievement. This print addressed that very idea, in spite of hardships and struggle a need to continue is present. Moving Forward is necessary for us all as it is the most difficult experiences we learn to become stronger in.
My personal views on the art I make today is to simply make the work relevant to the present. Many of us do not know a great deal of the old stories and songs. We have been removed from that very way of life. There is a longing to know it by many, but it is simply impossible to go back in time and learn traditions lost.
With what art has survived I have attempted to make a connection to utilize the traditional shapes and forms to say something I feel is relevant to the world today. This print matter is no exception to that objective.
In this print a father and young daughter are depicted. The father is arched as if to rise up and push his child forward. He shows his support swimming under her. The use of Salmon as the subject relates to how we as Salish people see ourselves, the Salmon People. A great parallel exists in it, mostly now, a dwindling populous fighting to survive.
One can look past species and cultural context to identify what is human about the concept here. It is instinctual for all beings to care for their young, to pride them into high esteem and achievement. This print addressed that very idea, in spite of hardships and struggle a need to continue is present. Moving Forward is necessary for us all as it is the most difficult experiences we learn to become stronger in.

For centuries the art of the Salish people has been primarily used in a ceremonial context with representation of spirit figures and personal guardians. Today the art style's revival has undergone a great deal of change, which may be due to the loss of language and mere cultural knowledge. As a direct result of this, many of the artists today draw from the aesthetic form. However, this is not to say that the art is without cultural  merit or value by any means. It is very much alive,  seen in a new light, by new eyes.

Red Tail Hawk

24 1/2"h x 22"w
Edition of 55

SOLD OUT

Salish Fisherman

22 1/2"h x 14 3/4"w
Edition of 80

SOLD OUT

Salish Fisherman is part of a series of prints that explore the relationship between the first peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast and the salmon. As a child growing up on the Puyallup River I can always recall my grandfather, father, and uncles fishing.  At that time it was not only a way of making a living but also a way of sustaining a long tradition that continued back for generations.  To me it seemed just an unquestioned way of life. 
 It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned about the struggles that our people endured to secure those rights to continue to fish for salmon.  Many of those significant events took place right off in the distance from my mother’s house.  Things have changed a great deal since then and the salmon themselves are a dwindling populous.  My uncle would tell me stories of when the waters were once filled with them tough, their nets so full they would nearly break he said.  
As unfortunate as it is the fact remains that those days are no longer.  We are all in need to make change to help restore that balance to bring them back.  
When I was asked about this print and what it meant to me I realized how much I recall my father in particular as a fisherman, and I think that his generation marked the last of our people, at least for a great deal of time, to see that tradition fade.  The man in the print doesn’t represent my father alone; it symbolizes the people of his generation and how they stood for what their ancestors had wanted for them.  It was a matter of continuing things and being proud of who they were and where they came from.

Salmon Continuum Triptich

22"h x 14 1/2"w
Edition of 60

SOLD OUT

This original concept came from an installation on Portland Avenue in Tacoma, WA. The salmon are ajoined by their dorsal fin. They are representations of our tribal community in the Puget Sound. They also symbolize that in the world we live in today we are a diverse people and although we share the same roots we now choose our path all the while remaining connected. This honors the people of both walks to look to the past and those who look to the future for our inspiration knowing that there are advantages to both and that there can be room for the two to co-exist. This serigraph edition was commissioned by the Chehalis Tribe for their hotel and explains the limited availabilty to the public as the entire edition went framed and installed directly to them with only artist proof's available in a small quantity.

Wolf Daughter

14 1/2"h x 22"2
 Edition of 70

SOLD OUT

This print is a depiction of Wolf Daughter. She is one of the earliest characters in the story that I had heard of regarding transformation. In my artistic development I found myself more and more drawn to these stories of Wolf. Her story in particular tells of how her and her mother were walking along the river while coming across a young man. When Wolf Daughter saw him she instantly fell in love. Tragically she knew that remaining in wolf form she could not marry him. The mother on the other hand saw him as a meal and had to be talked out of consuming him then and there. Wolf Daughter along with her mother brought him back to their home and such away after night fell. She went to the base of Mt. Rainier (Takopid) where she sought out the help of the Elk who served as a shaman to the people. She explained how she longed to be human , to marry the young man she loved so. Elk could see she was indeed in love and told her to go to the rivers edge where she would found a buckskin dress hanging over the river. She would have to jump into it before touching the water.
Overjoyed with this direction she went to carry our this plan. She found the dress and leaped into it as instructed. It was at this moment that she shed her wolf skin and emerged from the water as human. She gazed into the water to see a reflection of a beautiful young woman.
Her wish to transform had come true. Now for the first time she ran on two feet back to her home. When she arrived the young man had come to and found himself surrounded by wolves. He reached for his club only to be caught by the stunning beauty of this young woman that cast a shadow before him. She waved him out of the den and explained that the wolves were her  family. They returned to his village and eventually married as she had wanted. She told the people there where she came from and asked the chief to call off any harm to her people and he agreed. From this we respect the teachings of the Wolf and integrate that order into our cultural practice of leadership.
This design is the first to be signed using my Native name Qwalsius which was inherited from my maternal great-grandfather, Lawrence Williams and granted by my grandmother, Jane Wright. So many depictions of the art we do has to do with the transformation of things. In this piece in particular I wanted to look at the Wolf Daughter as she was in another point in her life, perhaps as a younger adolescent completely unaware of the impact she would have on the world. I imagine there are many young people among us today who have this same spirit in them. I am happy today to share my work as it is the purpose of creation, to share and appreciate.

Flight of the Messenger

22"h x 16 1/5"w
Edition of 60

SOLD OUT

Early print experimenting using unpopular characters of Northwest Coast mythology. Also the first time using transparent clear mixed ink with irridescent violet for the face of the moon.

On Tenterhooks

11"h x 12"w
Edition of 24

SOLD OUT

Early career Valentines day print.

Guardian of Salmon House

18"h x 13"w
Edition of 75

SOLD OUT

In our traditions in Puget Sound territory many tribes have a salmon ceremony. This ceremony takes place annually and is done to acknowledge the Salmon who give their lives to sustain us in ours. Although the practice varies from tribe to tribe the essence of it shares the principle to honor what we have been given be the creator. 
The first salmon caught by the fisherman is taken up to a designated site and treated as the focus of attention. The salmon is prepared for the Elders first and a feast takes place from the successive catch. The bones of the first are placed on a plank atop cedar boughs and accompanied by the community often in song back to the waters where it is said he returns to tell the Salmon people he has been honored and that our people are deserving of their self sacrifice.
This image depicts the Guardian of Salmon house under the sea which ultimately releases the Salmon according with our tradition.

Wolf Brothers (1998)

20"h x 17"w
Edition of 95

SOLD OUT

Early in my career I knew I wanted to symbolize a vision I had of three wolf brothers within a circle. It wasn't long before I discovered the power of symbolism. This print makes use of the tails of each wolf intertwined to signify they are from the same origin/mother. They are also bound together this way and bonded and moving in the same direction at the same time making room to accommodate one another on their journey. This design was of my earliest print works developed from an original drum that caught many peoples attention in my travels from different Native events and really set me on my way in printmaking exploration.

Maternal Thunderbird

19 1/2"h x 24 1/2"w
Edition of 79

SOLD OUT

This print is a tribute to my Grandmother, Jane Wright. Amongst the people on the Northwest Coast, the individual who oversees the rights of a family with authority is often represented with the symbol of a Thunderbird. In the case of my grandfather, Frank Wright Sr., I had never had the opportunity to address him in this way before his passing. After many years had gone by and witnessing my grandmother take position as the Thunderbird, I decided to acknowledge this through use of art.
The Thunderbird is printed using the color white to ssignify it's position as an elder/ancestor in status. The oval  in the lower portion of the beak signifies it as a female. It has also been highly stylized in the wings and overall movement in it's position to show my grandmother's beauty and pride in her heritage. The color blue has been used here as a background to symbolize the community as in earlier times blue signified the people or common class community. This also symbolizes the community recognizing my grandmother as leader of our family. Overall this piece is to show how proud I am to have a granmother who is as beautiful as she is strong within our cultural concerns for a better future.

Wolf Brothers (2006)

23"h x 22"w
Edition of 100

$100.00 USD

This design pays homage to two very influential artists, Joe and George David of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. When I began my journey as an artist there were very few Southern Northwest Coast Natives who practiced the art to the degree these individuals did. I met George while carving at my uncles shop in Tulalip and in watching him I was given some insight to the carving style that differentiates the Southern coastal people from the Northern groups of British Columbia and Alaska. 
I knew of Joe but did not meet him until a few years after meeting George where I had a chance to see him work on the Founder’s Totem Pole at the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. Although my time with these brothers was minimal their influence has been powerful and positive. One of the unique accomplishments these two share to the ability to execute works in various tribal styles which is a complicated task to achieve in one’s career. However, both artists have done so and continue to which has inspired me to do the same. The two brothers are represented here by two wolves connected from the torso as to represent family ties. The woman figure that oversees the two represents their grandmother who foresaw the artists being powerful and influential people long before their arrival. This has undoubtedly come true and this print acknowledges and honors that premonition. 

Wintersong Snow (serigraph)

22.5" h x 20" w
Edition of 21

SOLD OUT

Early Christmas print, very limited release.