Learning by Doing Northwest Coast Native Indian Art

Karin Clark. -- Writer/teacher/artist Karin Clark has had over 20 years experience working with children and adults. Most of this time has been spent learning and teaching with British Columbias First Nations in public and private schools, colleges, art classes, aboriginal/social studies courses, and university teacher education programs.

In her first book, Learning by Doing Northwest Coast Native Indian Art, co-authored with Jim Gilbert, she used her experiences and training in special and cultural education to produce an easy-to-follow, beginners skill development curriculum designed to foster respect for First Nations culture through art.

Karin spends her work time evaluating teaching/learning strategies and materials; creating curriculum material, writing story books and readers; using frameworks to create First Nations language programs; creating material and workshops to: enhance self-esteem and motivation, create Native Indian art, learn and teach using the Cognitive Education Method (CEM) - 6 keys to success, identify and explore your own personal learning styles and strategies; identify, strengthen, and remediate thinking skills and strategies; train instructors, paraprofessionals and curriculum developers; and designing flyers and brochures.

In writing Learning by Designing Pacific Northwest Coast Native Indian Art and Learning by Doing Northwest Coast Native Indian Art with Jim, Karin has been able to use all her skills and experience to create a useful resource for artists, students, teachers, and collectors.

Jim Gilbert. -- Born and raised on southern Vancouver Island, author/artist Jim Gilbert has had a lifetime of exposure to, and experience with, Pacific Northwest Coast aboriginal art. For the past thirty years, Jim has been a serious student of the culture, heritage and art of the coastal First Nations people. Jim also learned from his father, Harry Gilbert (1898 - 1967), who painted and carved in the Native style. A versatile and award winning artist, Jim works in all mediums in both traditional and contemporary art styles. All his designs are original, using centuries-old conventional design elements, structure and colour. His artworks can be found in collections worldwide.

In the two-volume publication, Learning by Designing Pacific Northwest Coast Native Indian Art, companion for the previously published Learning by Doing Northwest Coast Native Indian Art, Jim shares his passion and respect for the art form and passes on his own training, understanding, skill, and experience with traditional art apprenticeship methods. Jims understanding of effective methods of passing on artistic knowledge and skills is partly the result of experience gained while teaching First Nations art in Victoria public schools and through giving workshops and seminars. Jim also used his artistic skills to create over fifteen hundred original illustrations for the two volumes of Learning by Designing as well as illustrating Learning by Doing.

Jims long association with many First Nations artists working in all of the four art styles represented in these books, along with his qualifications as a biologist, teacher, artist and author make him uniquely suited to be involved in the production of this extensive, working guide and reference book on the aboriginal art of the Pacific Northwest Coast.