Salmon Run
A Little More About the Totem
I'm still rearranging and deciding on the the final order of the fish but here's the whole totem.
It stands 69" tall and 18" wide so is an impressive piece. I love how the colored rocks make up the middle of the totem reminding me of the stream bed.
The various fish are working their way past all of the obsticals between the ocean and their final spawning destination.
The top fish is leaping up the falls.
Growing up my family had a cabin with a pleasant little creek running behind it. We could hear the babbling call of the water from our front porch and my brother, cousin and I used to answer the call and play in it for hours.
Following the creek upstream for a mile or so there was a beautiful waterfall with a deep swimming hole below. Rocks dotted across where the creek flowed out of the pool and I liked to walk out on them and stand above the flowing water. All around me the stream bed was dotted with little stones that were the most beautiful shiny colors. Browns, oranges, greens, greys – they made up their own sparkling jewel box.
Once a year the creek would swell with the winter rains and burst through the beach sand where the creek met the ocean. Then the steelhead would make their way into the creek to spawn. I only got to see the steelhead running a couple of times over the years but I looked for them every time we went to the cabin anyway, just in case. They were so special to see.
It was fun to try to capture the excitement of seeing the fish fighting their way upstream as they circle around this totem. Watching them trying to leap up the booming falls was inspiring. They would leap and fall back over and over until they got lined up just right and then up they’d go. Amazing!
With this totem I was challenging myself to see if I could have the totem's story take place around the pole instead of up the middle and I think it worked! This piece takes me back to those carefree days of childhood adventures and captures some happy family memories for me.
It still needs a good title and I’d love to hear your suggestions.
What should we call this totem?
