My six commissioned CA Native American murals,  each emphasize a particular aspect of First Peoples’ culture such as clamming, fishing, trading, eating, dancing and burial rites, and each is set within the context of village life. My research process includes interviews with Native Americans, archaeologists, anthropologists, Fish and Game experts, historical texts and paintings, and the process of staging each scene.  These murals are frequently used by  California museums and educational groups for natural history signage, banners, films, videos and books. Local tribes have also used my imagery for tribal identity.  I am always honored to design these Native American projects, each time learning more about First Peoples’ culture of honoring Mother Earth through their selective gathering of resources for food, clothing and building materials

1.Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, “Ohlone Village Life” , 9 x 20 ft., has a central focus of gathering, preparing and enjoying  a communal meal based on foraging from Santa Cruz forests, meadows and creeks.

2. Blanchard Public Library of Santa Paula,  “Chumash Trading” 18 x 52 ft., has a central focus on trading rituals, and includes historical eras of Chumash life in Ventura county. The Chumash figures are set against the backdrop of local flora and fauna.

3. American Indian Resource Center at UCSC,   “Dancing at Quiroste” 6 x 20 ft.,  describes the Quiroste Village, inland from Año Nuevo, with the focus on the fasting and dancing rituals of the Amah Mutsun Tribe set within the historic archeological site of Quiroste Valley.

4. Oakland Museum’s show “Above and Below the Bay”,  my “Ritual Shell Mound and Burial Rites”, 8 x 40 ft., examines the burial rituals practiced by Bay Area Ohlone tribes including the Muwekma.

5. Capitola Museum,  “The First Peoples of Capitola Fishing and Foraging at the Beach and Lagoon”, 20 x 35 in., focuses on the specific seafood and means of gathering edible resources from the sea and creek by local Cajastaca and Uypi peoples in the Aptos area during the pre-Spanish period.

6. Clamming at the San Francisquito Creek and salt Marshes at Low tide. 18 x 18 in.  for the Friendship Bridge over the San Francisquito Creek, East Palo Alto.

7. This gallery also includes my paintings depicting the California mission period:

A. An Interior Mission courtyard,  8 x 10 ft.

B. Portola Crossing the San Lorenzo River,  20 x 30 in.