“The Native Sea Otter has always been a highly valued animal and symbol. In the past only tribal nobility were allowed to wear its fur. Native legends describe the Otter as a giver of great fortunes. The otter symbolizes friendship, peace, kindness and family. The otter is also social and mischievous and a symbol of grace, empathy, happiness and never-ending curiosity.”
– Spirits of the West Coast Art Gallery
SAY Magazine is honoured to feature Chantelle Trainor-Matties’s artwork on the cover. An inquisitive and playful animal, W̓atsx̱ (Otter) felt like the perfect fit—a symbol of adaptability and hope to embrace new things in this ever-changing world.
“Otters are one of my favourite animals due in part to their connection with ferrets as they’re part of the same family, the Mustelid family,” says artist Chantelle Trainor-Matties. “They remind me of my late ferret companions. They are just giant water ferrets!” When given the opportunity, Trainor-Matties loves to combine her different art styles, “such as this painterly otter alongside my contemporary Northwest Coast formline (also of an otter), it keeps things fresh and exciting for me as an artist and my audience.”
The original artwork, W̓atsx̱ (Otter), Acrylic on Canvas, 24 x 18, 2022, is available to purchase through Frettchan Studios and in various sizes.
About the artist:
Chantelle Trainor-Matties is an artist from British Columbia, Canada, who has Nisga’a and Métis heritage. She is a talented visual artist specializing in illustration, graphic design, painting, and mural work. An entrepreneur, Trainor-Matties enjoys the freedom of being her own boss and does primarily freelance work for private and commercial clientele through her small business Frettchan Studios. Her work ranges from bold contemporary Northwest Coast formline to charming cartoons to painterly realism, and many of her pieces are displayed in various British Columbia galleries.
