I am honoured to have my work used to bring such a broad awareness to Every Child Matters Orange Shirt Day.  This design of a parent orca with its young represents the beautiful connections we all have with our children, and the protection we all have for them is unmeasurable with our constant love for them.  

 

The chosen design was actually a memorial piece I created not long ago in remembrance of my late wife and son whom I lost in a span of six years.

 

I thought it would be fitting to enter the design into the contest as my late wife and I both understood the importance of Orange Shirt Day and what it meant and how hard and difficult it is to change and rid our future generation of the vicious cycles residential schools created in our families.

 

Orange Shirt Day is an important cause that my wife had a deep and loving passion for.  She wanted to bring awareness not only for our children but all families and their children as well.  I believe that through art I can honour her and help spread awareness.