About The Artist

My interest in art began when as a young man I spent a year in Alaska and studied Northwest Native American forms, materials, and carving methods. Then life took a different turn and for the next fifteen years I lived and worked in Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean, sailing vessels and I became a pilot. When I returned to the States I again began using Northern traditional methods, carving in stone and wood, and built kayaks adapting their methods with modern techniques. Since 1999 I have returned to Alaska several times, renewing my passion for the art form. I began by carving antlers and soon moved on to using fossil Alaskan ivory. In my early work in jewelry I was influenced by Northwest design but soon I developed my own style, designing and creating necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Every piece is entirely handmade using fossil ivory, silver or gold, employing meticulous workmanship in each one of my original designs. -Roland