The first totems were carved from mature cedars in the Pacific Northwest, and they were carved to represent the emblem of a family as a reminder of its history. Though sometimes considered guardians, totems did not represent gods, and were not objects of worship. This drawing began from a photograph I took of stark woods immediately after snow stopped falling, while snow still stuck to the trunks. I don’t see it as desolate, but as a beautiful moment of stillness, because that’s what it was. Only after I was more than halfway through the drawing did the totems appear- 20 faces hidden in the trees that emerged with no planning at all. Trees are definitely my totems.
The Totems of Winter
ORIGINAL AVAILABLE (11 x 14 Ink and Watercolor)
The first totems were carved from mature cedars in the Pacific Northwest, and they were carved to represent the emblem of a family as a reminder of its history. Though sometimes considered guardians, totems did not represent gods, and were not objects of worship. This drawing began from a photograph I took of stark woods immediately after snow stopped falling, while snow still stuck to the trunks. I don’t see it as desolate, but as a beautiful moment of stillness, because that’s what it was. Only after I was more than halfway through the drawing did the totems appear- 20 faces hidden in the trees that emerged with no planning at all. Trees are definitely my totems.