Bill Gates as a Tlingit Indian Chief 

Oil on canvas; 20” x 16”; June 1998 

Painted as a traditional portrait of a Indian Chief. The only hitch is that the chief is Bill Gates, president of Microsoft. In the past when I have traveled to various locations I would paint a scene. Now I paint a scene and a portrait of a famous local person. Taking a famous Seattlite like Bill gates and combining him with a local Indian Chief allows me to study and learn about both. I have always wanted to paint Indian Chiefs but stopped because I am not Indian. This way the portrait has purpose and meaning for me.  

Traditionally the Tlingit Indians would make raiding parties on the Salish Indians that lived around Seattle. They would make slaves of the Salish. When President Lincoln freed the slaves he also freed the Salish Indians. They were very grateful and erected a totem with his image on top.  

The painting is a head shot of the chief with nose and ear rings. He has a baby seal fur headress and a robe of yellow and black woven with traditional images worked into the pattern. In the background are the great canoes following the chief.  

  Dad   Page  Tim  Vicky  Cindy  Ahab  Annie Colin   Mother     Helen

                                   Portraits of All Sorts