My Introduction To Northwest Coast Native American Art
I had lived in Vancouver very briefly as a child and it was during that time when I was first exposed to the art of the Northwest Coast Native American Indians. It was the towering colorful totem poles out in Stanley Park that everyone gazed at with wonder and appreciation. It took about 30 years later during a return trip to Vancouver when Northwest Coast Native American art caught my eyes again.I was in Vancouver for business and landed at the city's new airport terminal. One could not help but notice the huge native carvings near the arrivals area. Later on during my stay, I decided to wander around in the Gastown district. It was in these shops and galleries in Gastown where I fell in love with Northwest Coast Native American art. I saw many wonderful wooden plaques representing different animals. There were also art prints, paintings, masks, wooden bowls and even furnature with these animals either painted or carved right into the pieces.The colors and designs, which might be considered a bit exaggerated to non-native eyes, were striking as well as bold. I knew at that time that I wanted to include some of this magnificent artwork on my walls back at home. So I bought two plaque carvings and carried them home like newly found treasure.Historically, the native Indians who lived along the river valleys and coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest were all hunters and gatherers. The region was blessed with abundant resources from both the seas and forests. These people captured in their artwork the animals they hunted and observed. These included bears, killer whales, eagles, ravens, salmons, wolves, hummingbirds and even frogs. Chiefs and mythical characters important in their legends such as thunderbirds were also included as art subjects.Northwest Coast Native American art is just only recently gaining some major attention in some galleries and museums around the world. Compared to other native arts such as Inuit (Eskimo), exposure of Northwest Coast Native American art is still rather limited to the northwest coast of Canada and the United States.This form of artwork is virtually unknown to most parts of the world including many regions of North America. This will hopefully change as more people from around the world travel to Vancouver. The future winter Olympics in 2010 up in Whistler, BC will also have a positive impact on the region's Native Indian art. I personally believe that Northwest Coast Native American art has a lot of potential to be internationally recognized and accepted.Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery (http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca), an online gallery specializing in Inuit and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.
Journeying Through Dorset - & The Jurassic Coast
The county of Dorset on England's south coast is a county of great contrast but one that will reward the determined traveller again and again. Take a break from driving and jump the three-hour rail journey from London Waterloo to Bournemouth. Deer can often be seen as you pass through the New Forest after Southampton, so keep one eye open.Bournemouth is a clean and prosperous seaside city with hundreds of hotels ranging from the tiniest, to large international standard establishments. The beach is long and sandy, and though it may be busy on the weekends in the summer, it is long enough to accommodate all comers.Five miles to the east you will find the pretty ancient town of Christchurch where the Priory stands cheek by jowl with the ruined mediaeval monastery. Stroll beside the twin rivers of Avon and Stour as they head for the sheltered harbour and onward to the sea at Mudeford Quay. The Quay is well worth a visit too, if only to watch the kids of all ages pulling the crabs from the fast flowing Run as it dashes through the channel.To the west of Bournemouth is the revitalised town of Poole, and the huge natural harbour, second in size only to Sydney. Take a boat trip to Brownsea Island and spot the rare red squirrels. Visit Sandbanks too, and millionaires row, where film stars, pop people and sportsmen and women like to take a fancy to the modern art deco homes.From the end of the Sandbanks peninsula take the old chain link ferry to Studland Bay. There is a beautiful sandy beach here too and you can walk along the shore to the pretty village of Studland, but be aware that this is a nudist beach. And it's used, at all times of the year, making the patrons much hardier souls than I! It's not unknown for them to approach strangers too. Methinks they hide a weird sense of humour!From there, head south towards Swanage. Stop off at Wareham and take a drink at the Inns on the picturesque quay. Take the Swanage road and pass the impressive ruin of Corfe Castle. Spend a while climbing the fortifications, and experience the feel of what it must have been like defending a fortress in the middle ages.Swanage is a small typically English seaside town, almost unchanged in the last fifty years, and no less attractive for that. You can arrive there by steam train on the Swanage Railway from Wareham. Travel west of Swanage and the terrain becomes wilder. This is Purbeck country, the Purbeck Hills, Purbeck stone, and the Jurassic coast.Towering cliffs, strange rock formations such as the Durdle Door, and Lulworth Cove are worth seeking out. This coast is known as the Jurassic coast for the vast number of dinosaur remains that have been and still are regularly discovered. The original Jurassic Park! Continue westward to Weymouth, another English seaside town. But Weymouth has much more to offer than most. The quayside that boasts working fishing vessels coming and going on every tide, the nature reserve, and the monk's swannery at Abbotsbury. Buy fresh fish and crabs from the boats moored at the quay, take the seasonal quick ferry to Jersey and Guernsey. It's a four hour trip but you can be there and back in a day. And don't forget to visit the strange place that is Portland Bill to the south and west of the town. It is here in Portland harbour that the Olympic Games sailing events will take place in 2012.Continue westward to Lyme Regis on the Devon border. It was here that Meryl Streep filmed the famous scenes from A French Lieutenant's Woman on the Cobb, the old stone quay that curls out into the channel. Walk on it at your peril in high winds, for it is slippery, and not flat!Time to turn inland. Beaminster and the old church, before continuing on to the county town of Dorchester. This is Thomas Hardy country, there is a statue to him at the top of the High Street. Dorchester is Casterbridge in his books, The Mayor of Casterbridge, and Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and there are memories of him everywhere.Continue northward to Shaftesbury and Sherborne, home of Sir Walter Raleigh. Visit the Abbey, the castle and the antiques shops that abound in the town. In the north of the county the countryside and the people differ markedly to the costal strip. A slower pace of life, more time for everything. The land is rolling, green hills on chalk downland that is home to rare breeds of sheep. In places huge sculptures have been carved from the hillside where the thin topsoil has been removed revealing the white chalk beneath. White horses, riders on horses, and the mediaeval pornography that is the Cerne Abbas Giant. Visit Blandford Forum too, another riverside town that can trace its heritage back to Roman times, and beyond.Take a slight detour over the border into Wiltshire and see the county capital of Salisbury and the beautiful cathedral with the tallest spire in England.Dorset is a fine county to explore, full of quaint thatched cottages, and beautiful pubs that anyone can enter at any reasonable time. Rest your feet for an hour, you don't need to buy alcohol if you prefer not, you'd be made just as welcome buying soft drinks and hearty crusty rolls. For the most part the food is good and fairly priced. Distances in Dorset between the towns are small and you can see a great deal in a week, but hey, two weeks would be all the better!You will find thousands of holiday cottages, villas and apartments, worldwide on my holiday home website www.pebblebeachmedia.co.ukDavid Carter has written hundreds of published articles. His latest work is the 244 page property letting manual SPLAM! Successful Property Letting And Management. Check out extracts on http://www.splam.co.uk. His holiday home website boasts over six thousand holiday cottages, villas and apartments worldwide and you can view that at http://www.pebblebeachmedia.co.uk
The Fishing Mark of Mablethorpe on the East Coast of England
MABLETHORPE, is a beach resort on the East coast of England. The beach is a long stretch of clean sands with some great fishing. The clean and flat ground is excellent for Flounder and the catch here is often flatfish. However, Smoothounds are also a regular visitor to the beach and offer great sport and exciting fishing. Both the Smoothounds and the summer Bass can be found at a distance of only 30 - 40 metres or so and a cast of this length can bring you some large fish.Other species to be found here are Eels, Dabs, Sole (late summer and mainly at night) and both Codling and Whiting come close in at the end of the year (October onwards).Best baits would be crab without a doubt! Crab is the best for Smoothounds and Flounder although Lugworm and Ragworm are also good especially for Bass and for enhancing the appeal of a spoon rig for the Flatties.The tackle should be light and the ideal rig would be a 2 or 3 boom paternoster. Use 12lb mono line as the main body of your rig with 15lb to 20lb mono hook lengths ending in a Kamasan Aberdeen or Mustad 3261BLN Aberdeen for worm baits. A Cox and Rawle Crab Hook or the popular wide gape circle hooks are well suited for crab baits. You'll also obviously need a grip lead to keep anchored against the surf!SeaFishingSupplies.co.uk is a secure online tackle shop specific to UK sea fishing. Our shop is VAT Free and delivery starts from 99p. http://www.SeaFishingSupplies.co.uk