Artist catches the spirit in her original works of art

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Nancy Luis credits her destiny to friends in high places.

"A psychic once told me that I have a spirit guiding me, protecting me," said Luis. "But if you'd told me as a child I was going to be an artist, I would have laughed. I was never artistic."

But an artist she is. As the proprietor of Aboriginal Creeations, Luis has tweaked and transformed the typical dream catcher concept into shapes as diverse as eagles, turtles and buffalos - works of art she calls spirit catchers, in honor of each animal's soul.

As a nurse's aide at Burnaby Hospital, Luis, 39, never dreamed she would one day turn the upper floor of her East Vancouver home into a mini-factory, and spend her free time hunched over feathers, leather and beads, crafting the shapes that would set her apart from other designers. "I have a lot of eagles at home that don't look quite right," she said of the learning process.

She may not have been artistic growing up, but she was certainly open to possibilities - and learning about her heritage. The daughter of an English father and Native mother of Cree and Iroquois descent, Luis is Metis, or "watered down," as she calls herself. "I'm band-less, but all my life I was drawn to the aboriginal culture," she said.

The artist's mother, however, had endured an abusive home and tried to hide who she was. "But I always wanted to see and know about it," said Luis, who was born and raised in Vancouver.

What set her on the path to enlightenment - and spirit catchers - was a chance visit two years ago to the Native friendship centre on Hastings Street. There she discovered the Native education centre and she signed up on the spot for an 18-month course in Aboriginal tourism and business management.

"I felt like I was meant to be there."

In less than two weeks she was learning how to run her own business but, just as important, she was finally learning about Native culture. "I learned all about traditions, ceremonies, history," she said, still marvelling at how it all came together with eerie ease - like guided destiny.

And although her original goal was to open a bed and breakfast establishment, she confessed she switched that plan several times throughout her studies. Nothing felt right. Until she began playing with dream catchers.

But Luis quickly became frustrated, finding the shape and style of the usual dream catchers too limiting. With her Portuguese husband

Albano's help - "He's not artistic either!" - she soon began twisting the wires into animal shapes and discovered she was on to something. It was while fulfilling an assignment to write a business plan that her classmates learned of her art. "They all loved the idea," said Luis, beaming.

Her first formal showing came this Labour Day weekend, as she learned on the Thursday before of the Vancouver International Aboriginal Festival taking place at the Plaza of Nations on the old Expo 86 site.

Overnight she pulled together her work and was attracting attention at her own booth the next day.

Luis, who hopes one day to branch out into jewellery and carving, said one of the larger spirit catchers typically takes five days, or 10 hours, to complete.

Luis has two children, Sydnie, nine-and-a-half, and Jenna, who turns seven in October. Sydnie has shown interest in her mother's work, experimenting with her own dream catchers.

"But she's impatient," said Luis. "She wants it finished in one day."

Luis's creations range from $60 to $90 and she's happy to customize. She has sold as far away as Florida, but local buyers can view her designs at First Nations Creations Native Artist Co-operative in Gastown. She also has a Web site in the works.

"I don't want to make just a pretty piece, I want it to have meaning," said Luis, who hopes her work will reflect the importance of caring for the environment.

"I wanted to give the animals a voice, to remind people that we're not superior. My kids and I say hi to the birds all the time. Their dad thinks we're nuts, butI tell them the birds talk to them in their own way. They're not just birds, they're entities; and a tree is not just a tree, it gives you air."

As for that mysterious spiritual guide, Luis recalls, "One day I was driving to work and a voice in my head told me to get in the right lane. I kept ignoring it, but it was persistent. Finally I did, and a car came down the wrong lane toward me and smashed into the car behind me. It was a drunk driver."

She's since paid close attention to other messages and dreams that have proved prophetic.

"I've always followed my instinct as far as things like that go, and I feel like my creations are going to go a lot further. I have a lot more creations to make; my soul is telling me that."

Nancy Luis can be reached at Aboriginal Creeations via e-mail: aboriginalcreeations@shaw.ca.