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Dave took up the whaler's art of scrimshaw while aboard ship during the Viet Nam War. He has a degree in wildlife ecology and worked over 25 years in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a wildlife law enforcement officer and wildlife refuge manager. He retired in 2002 and now lives on Grizzly Mountain in central Oregon where he still pursues his art. Whales have been protected since 1972 and Dave continues this historic maritime art by scrimshawing on ancient ivory from walrus and mammoth tusks, bone or imitation ivory.

Each piece of Dave's scrim work is a "one-of-a-kind" original and done by hand held single point scribe in the traditional and historic method used by sailors and natives. NO laser, digital or mechanical etching method is used and Dave believes that these various forms of "fakeshaw" amount to fraud for the sake of mass production at the expense of the true art form and true scrimshanders.

Dave also creates one-of-a-kind fiber art tools, most of which feature ancient ivory inlay and coiled pine needle baskets. Be sure and visit our website to view the galleries of his beautiful tools!

Jo, who has been married to Dave for 30 years, shares Dave's interest of creating art from natural resources. Her mediums include clay, pressed flowers, rock mosaics, driftwood, pine needles and ancient ivory. In a collaborative arrangement with Dave, Jo uses materials reflecting elements found in nature to create modern primitive jewelry, baskets and sculptures. Jo is also a classically trained flutist and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Rural Oregon Arts Association. Along with maintaining the GMA website, she enjoys utilizing the internet to further her genealogical research into her Chickasaw and Choctaw ancestry.

Ancient walrus and mammoth tusks are dug out of the permafrost or bone mounds by Alaskan and Siberian natives annually during the summer thaw and sold to subsidize their family or village income.

Elephant ivory and other "fresh" ivories will never be used in any of the artwork created by Grizzly Mountain Arts.