Saturday, October 6, 2012

Haida Tux

I once had an art teacher tell me he hated Emily Carr. So this is where I put in a disclaimer stating that the opinions contained in this blog.... well, you get the idea. Regardless of how I feel about Emily Carr (I love her), this guy really got me thinking. This art teacher thought Emily Carr had no business painting abstract versions of totem poles, because The Haida people had already created perfect abstractions. So I began exploring Haida art and fell in love. Long before I married my beautiful Haida husband or began teaching my son the Haida language, I coveted button blankets, cedar hats, bentwood boxes and masks. And oh yes, what I wouldn't give for a totem pole representing my family in my garden. Here's my version of our cat Tuxedo, Haida style.

 
This week, explore a culture that is close to your heart and create an art piece inspired by that culture.

2 comments:

  1. I've always wanted a Haida style piece of a horse but I've never seen one. I love the Tuxedo piece, this week I'm going to explore something Irish!

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  2. Hi Nicole. I love Irish/Scottish art too as those are my roots. I've never seen a Haida cat either, I really had to figure it out on my own. Luckikly, we have a few books on typical Haida features for drawing and carving. I once taught an art class where a 7 year old girl drew a Haida style horse. It was awesome!

    Can't wait to see your Irish piece!

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