Bill Reid master engraver, jeweler, wood carver

[mdengraver]

I just got back from vacation in Vancouver, BC. I went to the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology and was privileged to see Bill Reid's wood carvings and engravings. This site shows some examples of his work, especially his engravings. Most inspiring, coming out of the Haida indian tradition of making totems, and wood carving.

Milky Way Jewels Pacific Northwest Coast Indian Jewelry- 2 visits - Aug 22This term refers not only to the depth and quality of the engraving, but also to the ... Charles Edenshaw Bear Bracelet. From "Bill Reid" by Karen Duffek. ...
www.milkywayjewels.com/nwi_jewels.html - 27k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

 

[qndrgnsdd]

md: Glad you got to see Bill's work. He was not only a great artist and carver but a fine teacher and mentor, always free with information on how he did something. I only got to meet him twice, and both times came away with tips on how something was done. He is greatly missed and admired in the North West. I hope you went thru the storage drawers at the MOA as there is a lot of work worth seeing tucked away in the drawers.

Owen & Janet Walker
www.walkergoldsmiths.com

 

[mdengraver]

In the drawers

I got to look in the drawers briefly but not long enough to see more of Bill's work, only some artifacts. I left in awe and quite inspired. They had some nice replicas of his work in the gift shop which I greatly admired.

 

[qndrgnsdd]

I don't think there is any more of Bills work in the storage drawers, but there are some very old silver bracelets in there and some not so old ones that are well worth looking at, a few other pieces of metal work, pins earrings and a dagger or two that are pretty fascinating. More and more of the collections of various museums are available on line every year. We are still having difficulty convincing them that artists want to see the back sides of things, as well as the fronts, but they are getting better. I'm very glad you got to see Bill's work and can understand why some of us are obcessed with NWC formline art.................Owen

www.walkergoldsmiths.com

 

[mdengraver]

Your website strikes

I believe some of your work at your website strikes some inspiration from pacific northwest indian designs. What does NWC (Northwest coast?)mean?

 

[mdengraver]

A Couple of Examples of Work from the University of British Columbia Museum

Here are some photos of the famous Bill Reid indian representation of creation carved and sculpted as a commissioned for the University of British Columbia museum. The piece was originally done in miniature before it was carved life size.

 

[mdengraver]

Here's a nice Bill Reid website

http://www.civilisations.ca/aborig/reid/reid01e.html

 

[mdengraver]

Engraving from the gift shop

Photo of an engraving from the gift shop University of British Columbia Museum

 

[Tomyboy]

bill reid was a masters master at haida jewelery, my goal is get in his league of skill but his popularity is another thing entirely.
recently 11 or so of his most famous pieces were stolen from the museum all were recovered except 3 i think.

im a Tlingit first nations artist... and have bin at engraving for like, 3 or 4 years now untill recently"last 6 months" i had to quit because i was going cross eyed from wearing a visor 18hours a day... i know i know not smart, but making a living doing this is extremely stressful and underpaid. gallerys make 100% profit from your work.

anyway heres the last pieces i did before i quit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA76KHaMSUw

trying to find an inexpensive way to view the work without visors, it will be a while before i can make more stuff

forgot to add the utube trick to the link... which is add &fmt=18 to the end of a youtube link.... it increases the quality of the image dramatically
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA76KHaMSUw&fmt=18

 

[Peter E]

The Bill Reid and other items shown on www.milkywayjewels.com/nwi_jewels are incredible. Very interesting history as well.

Thanks for the link,
Peter

 

[qndrgnsdd]

NWC-North West Coast This art form has very strict rules as explained by Wolf-Smartch in the video, but it is not just Tlinget or Haida there are several other cultures using the same art form Tsimsian, Bella Coola, Bella Bella, and Kwakwakewak. There are variations in color use and some of the forms are looser or tighter thicker or thinner in the various cultures but the rules are essentialy the same. We usually use the North West Coast title rather than one of the cultures unless we are talking about that specific culture or an artist whose cultural affiliation we know. Bill Reid was Haida, Wolf-Smartch is Tlinget, Israel Shotridge is Tlinget. Then there are some of us who do not have tribal cards who grew up with this art form in our faces who have chosen to do it, or are too obcessed with it not to. Sometimes refered to by Canadians Indians as the Seattle tribe. Bill is credited with reviving Haida art, yet he did not know he was Haida untill his late teens, and a great deal of what he later learned about Haida art he learned from Bill Holm, an art historian from Seattle. Bill Reid took what he learned and observed in museums and took the next step into excellence and by doing so has given all who do this art form something to strive for and he set that bar pretty darn high.
Owen
www.walkergoldsmiths.com

 

[qndrgnsdd]

Tomyboy, you have some excellent designs there, and the carving is good. I would advise you to get a flex shaft and learn some jewelry finishing techniques. This can cut the final time per peice down considerably. If I can guide you contact me off list and I will help if I can. It does seem unfair that the galleries take 50% of retail but do you have time to learn the art of selling and pay that rent and stay there all the time? Each piece is a balance of time desing finish and price.....Owen
www.walkergoldsmiths.com

 

[mdengraver]

Bill Reid Totem Pole Film

http://www.nfb.ca/film/bill_reid/