Artist Details
Dorothy Jarvis
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
Tsimshain Nation, the Killer Whale clan of the Gitwilgyaats Tribe
Dorthy Jarvis' home village is Lax Kw'alaams (Port Simpson); her matrilineal heritage connects her to this land. Much of Dorothy's artistic inspiration comes from her Tsimshain heritage. Her signature paintings are of totem poles from Northwestern B.C, mainly the Prince Rupert area.
"I am deeply moved by scenes of Aboriginal life and the spirits of the great totem poles. I feel that, although the earth has reclaimed many of these majestic monuments, they live on. Until recently I had been painting the totem poles of my youth from memory. Then I had the opportunity to return to Port Simpson and sketch and paint the landscape of my maternal grandmother. The poles of the Tsimshain Nation and those standing along the Skeena River, Kitwanga, Moricetown and Hazelton are magic to my brush and I feel humbled to capture their true beauty.
I continue to paint the people and the landscapes of my beautiful heritage and land. I want to convey and keep the past alive in a soft but meaningful way through my work. I have just returned from an intense work shop in California at the Watts Atelier with master artist Jeffrey Watts. I love to paint portraits, and will be including them in my available works. I hope to keep my approach in oils meaningful to all who view the pieces" - Dorothy Jarvis -
