Merry Christmas

Sigoowoo Kiswas (Merry Christmas in Tlingit) Here's a link to my twitter post for today. It announces my Facebook page for Tlingit Triba...

Village Boy

My book of selected poems "Village Boy: Poems of Cultural Identity" is now available in Kindle format. Check it out.  Leave a ...

Why I Create

There are many reasons an artist creates. I myself am motivated by a number of impulses. I’ll mention a few: Pure enjoyment. I admit, I LO...

Tradition of Celebration - Tlingit Tribal Art: Robert Davis Hoffmann

Tradition of Celebration - Tlingit Tribal Art: Robert Davis Hoffmann

The Things We Need

My wife was trying to explain what katzenzungen (cats' tongues) was; a chocolate treat in Germany made from chocolate molded in the shap...

Sealaska Celebration: Decade Old Screen

It's been 10 years already since I was asked to design a backdrop for the biannual Sealaska Celebration. They asked me to design and cre...

Lovebirds

In our Tlingit culture there are 2 moieties, the Eagle and the Raven. Beneath each of those fall the numerous clans. Each clan has its own c...

Creativity on Tap

You gotta be kidding. I have two days off. I have to schedule my time for art work nowadays.  Sometimes that works, sometimes not. I have an...

Saying YES to Opportunity

I've learned to open myself to the opportunities that present themselves to me in many ways. Sometimes we have requests or invitations t...

Ata "let me see"

Today was my first day back at work at the Sheldon Jackson Museum , here in Sitka, Alaska. I really love my job. Not only am I in the midst ...

The Fine Line

If you have ever looked at Tlingit paintings up close, particularly the bentwood boxes, you will be amazed at some of the fine lines the pai...

A Time for Recharging

If I've learned one thing about enjoying the art process, it is to take breaks as needed.  Sometimes when I am working compulsively - ju...

Another Killer Whale Coming

I really enjoyed painting the black form lines of this killer whale. Enjoyable and productive time today, painting to an all-Beatles day.  M...

Preparation

Any project requires some preparation and planning. When I design, I consider the size of the surface I'm designing for, as well as the ...

Carved cedar picture frame

This makes the 4th frame I've carved with custom Tlingit designs. The frame is 14x11 constructed by The Wood Dudes of Sitka, Alaska.  So...

Haa Aaní Colored Pencil Drawing

I've been alternating between carving and painting, but today my custom frame arrived in the mail so I could frame my odd sized colored ...

Art and Life article

I like the conclusions the author, Karen Kramer, arrives at in her article " Art and Life ": Northwest Coast people incorporate ...

Development of "Haa Aani" Our Land

It starts with an IDEA. In this case, the "idea" was began when Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) requested that I develop 2 panel...

Tlingit Tribal Art store

Tlingit Tribal Art storefront slowly getting populated with smaller works of mine. I have gift cards, post cards, checkbook covers, pai...

Art and Work

Do art ideas have to go neglected because of a work schedule? For me, I am one lucky person.  My wife went to Mannheim for 5 weeks. That lef...

Interruptions to Creativity

It's so easy to lose that roll we are on with a creative project! There are many interruptions, some unavoidable and others that we invi...

Tlingit Design Classes in Kake

Went home for a 10-day trip to Kake. The Alaska Marine Highway System (Alaska ferry aka the blue canoe) schedule worked out such that I coul...

Tlingit Marlboro Jackets

Though not actually added to my online store yet, these Marlboro denim jackets with hand painted Tlingit designs and abalone buttons sell fo...

Carving Again (finally!)

It seems like having an 8 hour a day job pretty much precludes having any energy or enthusiasm left over for art work, right? If you're ...