Joan Juanell Skidmore

(After teaching in the Texas public school system for thirty-two and one half years, I retired in May, 1995. I am now getting back into art, music, and writing. I like to work in almost all media, but my favorites are watercolors, pastels, and acrylics.)

I fell in love with Northwest Coast Native American art during trips to British Columbia in July and October of 1995. Since then, I've been experimenting with the symbols and techniques of the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast. My first work was a Kuaqiutal Angel for a show in the Meadows Gallery of the Vive Les Arts Theater in 1996.

It is challenging to create new art using certain sets of symbols. The myth of how the Haida came into the world is shown below. I am currently working on two other works depicting myths of the Tlinget and the Coastal tribes. I hope my interpretations will not offend these Native Americans, because I have deep respect for their cultural traditions and beliefs.

Raven Release the Haida from a Clam Shell Joan Jaunell Skidmore
"Raven Releases the Haida from a Clam Shell"
Original Pen and Ink
by Joan Juanell Skidmore
May, 1996
According to a Haida myth, Raven was walking along the beach eating what he could find. After he had eaten his fill he heard unusual noises. He looked up in the sky, out over the ocean, and all around. Then he looked down at his feet. Inside a slightly opened clam shell, he saw some strange creatures with arms and legs, but no fur or feathers. Always the curious one, he opened the shell and let the creatures out. He taught them how to find food and protect themselves. They never again went back into the claim shell. This work is my interpretation of that Haida myth.
Crossings and Partings: An Acrylic Painting

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