This tall and very elegant sculpture was handcrafted from old-growth yellow cedar and stands 25.5 X 5 X 2 inches. The carving depicts a heron overlooking a salmon at the base of the piece. Priced at $1350.

Born into a family of carvers, the artist has lineage from both Tsawout (Stayout) and Pacheedaht First Nations. He received training from Doug Lafortune, Perry Lafortune, and Francis Horne, whom he cites as being his inspirations. He completed his first carving at the age of eight, and has been carving professionally since 1998, typically working with red cedar.

While he tends to portray traditional Salish crests and motifs, he is especially interested in experimenting with unconventional form and unique symbolism.

He is known as being one of the first Northwest Coast artists to incorporate sand blasting into his works.

Notable commissions of his include the “Cycle of Knowledge” carved house post for Camosun College in Victoria. The piece represents the transfer of knowledge between students, faculty and staff, with students taking what they learn at the college back to share with their communities, the artist said.

He also designed logos for the Orange Shirt Society of Victoria, an annual national event that is held on September 30th in Canada. It is a day to honor Residential School survivors and their families, and to remember those that never made it. (https://victoriaorangeshirtday.com/)

He also designed for RTVS, a virtual rural health care network in British Columbia. (https://rccbc.ca/initiatives/rtvs/)

Among Northwest tribes, the Great Blue Heron comes up in tales as one who can wait forever to reach their goal. All others give up and leave the Heron to his task. If native fishermen see a heron, it is a good sign for a successful fishing trip. However, Heron can be portrayed as a restless loner, probably because herons in nature are solitary creatures except during breeding times.

The Native Salmon Symbol symbolizes abundance, fertility, prosperity and renewal. For thousands of years, Salmon have been the primary food source for Northwest Coast Native Americans and are highly respected.