Paddle Earrings

Gerren grew up amongst a variety of talented artists and was accustomed to visiting the carving workshops of Tony Hunt Jr., Stan Hunt, Jay Brabant and Ron Harris. As he apprenticed alongside his father, he also paid careful attention to the individual styles and techniques of these master carvers. He was raised in both the Coast Salish and Nuu-chah-nulth traditions of art.

A raised paddle is a common Coast Salish demonstration of goodwill, peace, and respect, when the person in the canoe is approaching the shore of a village. Among many coastal, Indigenous peoples, the paddle is a symbol of mobility, closely tied to the canoe as a metaphor for unity. "We are all paddlers in the same canoe."

"Paddle Earrings" and all First Nations Gallery jewelry is made on reservation land, located in what is known as North Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.