| Spirits In The Mist is a site &title of a QTVR celebrating the art and reverence for nature of the indigenous cultural nations of the west coast of British Columbia. The intent is not to create their art but to embrace already existing images in various forms by showcasing them in mediums of the day. Hartley Design is a husband & wife creative team (Steve and Christine Hartley). By working with these shadows of the original indigenous art that at one time dominated this part of Canada, we are exploring an artform / way of communicating that has cast a spell on us. We find the simplistic majesty of the symmetrical fluid forms to be some of the most beautiful ways of expression that we've been exposed to. Christine painted a picture of a totem pole located in the Queen Charlotte Islands as it stood about 1988 - following in the footsteps of great artists inspired by these lonely sentinels (Emily Carr, Robert Bateman and many others). With this image, I composited photos etc. with various Photoshop techniques. The result was a matte painting designed for QTVR. Using Qdesign compression and SoundsaVR, I added a haunting forest environment to the piece to envelope you into a very spiritual culture which was lost for some time. These proud nations are struggling to reclaim their heritage and in the process are captivating western culture with their respect for nature and inspiring traditions. We are not anthropologist nor by any means experts on the cultures who's art we enjoy. Please do not take offense if items or images are out of context or portrayed in a non traditional way. Comments and suggestions are very welcome. Steve Hartley |