San Juan Islands
A thick blanket of fog enshrouded the Sea Bird as we made our way north along the San Juan Islands. Turning east, we cleared the fog just in time to see light growing behind the Cascade Mountains. The sun peeked, seeming shy but inexorable, over some great mountain’s flank, then, climbing, it filled the sky in pale gold.
Fog still wrapped the trees as we neared John’s Island. As the Captain nudged the ship closer, we caught glimpses of a painted house front above the beach. In the old days, the people of the Northwest Coast lived in large houses made of cedar planks, supported by huge posts, often richly carved with crest designs. The house on John’s is a traditional Kwakwaka’wakw bighouse belonging to the famous artist and scholar Bill Holm. I was fortunate enough to have been Bill’s chief assistant in carving and building this house, and I was pleased to bring everyone on the Sea Bird here as my special guests.
We had a fire already blazing as people came ashore and entered the house. Once everyone was seated I explained the house’s history, and the figures represented in the painted and carved designs. Months earlier, I had stowed in the house a large mask that I had carved. The mask is a Hamatsa “big bird” mask, among the most impressive of the many kinds of masks traditional to the Northwest Coast. I learned many ceremonial dances from a well-known Nakwaxdaxw chief, so I danced in my mask in the ancient way. This house is a place of powerful memories for me, and I hope that now it is the same for a few more people! It is a rare opportunity to visit a house built strictly for traditional ceremony, and I was glad to share this unusual experience with my fellow travelers.
Soon after lunch we cleared Canadian customs and headed for Salt Spring Island. This idyllic island is the home of one of Canada’s most acclaimed artists, Robert Bateman. Mr. Bateman has been painting wildlife since he was a kid, but had to pass through a phase of doing “real” art – abstracts – before returning to his true love. The result is bold abstract paintings rendered as realistic portraits of wildlife. Bateman’s wildlife art is far and away the best of the genre, and he is justifiably renowned. Bateman and his family have had a long association with Lindblad, starting in the 70’s, when he traveled as naturalist aboard the Lindblad Explorer. We are the beneficiaries of this relationship – visiting the Bateman house is, of course, a very unusual opportunity. As we docked at the town of Ganges, Bob and Birgit Bateman were waiting for us. Once aboard, Bateman gave us a slide show “tour” of his house, with the regular reminders and corrections by Birgit! Soon we were on our way to the house, where we saw many of the art treasures that Bateman had called to our attention with his slides. We also admired photos that Birgit is preparing for an upcoming show. But of course the highlight of the visit was time spent in Bateman’s studio. Bateman showed us a collection of the paintings he’s currently working on, shuffling and tossing them around as if they were second-hand books. It was fun to hear gasps of admiration every time he held up another painting. Bob and Birgit are delightful people, and while we arrived at the house with respect, we departed with affection.
The Northwest Coast is well-know for its fantastic nature and scenery, but its culture is equally rich. How wonderful to have begun our journey with exposure to the work of Bill Holm and Robert Bateman, two of the Northwest’s artistic luminaries.
A thick blanket of fog enshrouded the Sea Bird as we made our way north along the San Juan Islands. Turning east, we cleared the fog just in time to see light growing behind the Cascade Mountains. The sun peeked, seeming shy but inexorable, over some great mountain’s flank, then, climbing, it filled the sky in pale gold.
Fog still wrapped the trees as we neared John’s Island. As the Captain nudged the ship closer, we caught glimpses of a painted house front above the beach. In the old days, the people of the Northwest Coast lived in large houses made of cedar planks, supported by huge posts, often richly carved with crest designs. The house on John’s is a traditional Kwakwaka’wakw bighouse belonging to the famous artist and scholar Bill Holm. I was fortunate enough to have been Bill’s chief assistant in carving and building this house, and I was pleased to bring everyone on the Sea Bird here as my special guests.
We had a fire already blazing as people came ashore and entered the house. Once everyone was seated I explained the house’s history, and the figures represented in the painted and carved designs. Months earlier, I had stowed in the house a large mask that I had carved. The mask is a Hamatsa “big bird” mask, among the most impressive of the many kinds of masks traditional to the Northwest Coast. I learned many ceremonial dances from a well-known Nakwaxdaxw chief, so I danced in my mask in the ancient way. This house is a place of powerful memories for me, and I hope that now it is the same for a few more people! It is a rare opportunity to visit a house built strictly for traditional ceremony, and I was glad to share this unusual experience with my fellow travelers.
Soon after lunch we cleared Canadian customs and headed for Salt Spring Island. This idyllic island is the home of one of Canada’s most acclaimed artists, Robert Bateman. Mr. Bateman has been painting wildlife since he was a kid, but had to pass through a phase of doing “real” art – abstracts – before returning to his true love. The result is bold abstract paintings rendered as realistic portraits of wildlife. Bateman’s wildlife art is far and away the best of the genre, and he is justifiably renowned. Bateman and his family have had a long association with Lindblad, starting in the 70’s, when he traveled as naturalist aboard the Lindblad Explorer. We are the beneficiaries of this relationship – visiting the Bateman house is, of course, a very unusual opportunity. As we docked at the town of Ganges, Bob and Birgit Bateman were waiting for us. Once aboard, Bateman gave us a slide show “tour” of his house, with the regular reminders and corrections by Birgit! Soon we were on our way to the house, where we saw many of the art treasures that Bateman had called to our attention with his slides. We also admired photos that Birgit is preparing for an upcoming show. But of course the highlight of the visit was time spent in Bateman’s studio. Bateman showed us a collection of the paintings he’s currently working on, shuffling and tossing them around as if they were second-hand books. It was fun to hear gasps of admiration every time he held up another painting. Bob and Birgit are delightful people, and while we arrived at the house with respect, we departed with affection.
The Northwest Coast is well-know for its fantastic nature and scenery, but its culture is equally rich. How wonderful to have begun our journey with exposure to the work of Bill Holm and Robert Bateman, two of the Northwest’s artistic luminaries.
