Yellowknife (Sep 11/06) - In a quiet gallery, a similarly quiet artist works diligently on an acrylic piece, deftly adding finishing touches, like teardrop dabs of white.

While the setting and artist are reserved, the work is anything but: bright colours, sharp, thick imagery and vibrant, balanced designs.

That's why Lutsel K'e artist John Rombough draws a crowd to the small NorArt gallery in Yellowknife; the art seems to jump right off the walls.

"It's been good," he said of his time at NorArt. "I've got to meet quite a few of the people who have bought my pieces over the years."

Rombough has appeared at the gallery, working on paintings and talking to customers - past and future - off an on for the last few weeks. Recently, he was a featured artist at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik and at the first-annual Yellowknife Arts Festival.

He stops to talk to visiting relatives and well-wishers. "It's always nice to meet people who enjoy your work," he said.

"My paintings speak for themselves. Every piece is unique. There's a different essence around each piece. Every piece has a story, too."

Part of the reason he enjoys meeting "satisfied customers," is so he can tell them those stories, explaining nuances they may have never noticed.

As an example, he described the piece he is working on, a symbolic illustration of a shaman on a cliff. The praying shaman receives a sign from the wolf clan, rising up from the valley in ornate designs in the dark of night, all purples and blues, with sharp black lines. "It's quite a powerful piece," he said with a bit of wonder.

He said he has been working furiously over the past few months, producing as much as possible before he takes some time off for the winter.

Part of this production spree is a plan to paint a series of murals for the hockey rink in Lutsel K'e.

He also hopes to develop a website and illustrate a series of children's stories.

"I'm thinking about doing a winter scene turning into a summer scene," he said of the murals.

Rombough grew up on the east coast of Canada, with adoptive parents.

In adulthood, he discovered his biological father was from Lutsel K'e, prompting a journey that saw him rediscover his roots and call Snowdrift home.

NorArt store manager Della Green said she believes this sojourn is where the unique nature of Rombough's designs comes from.

"People are really surprised to find out he's from Lutsel K'e," she said on Thursday.

"A lot of people like it. We've sold nothing but John Rombough pieces in the last few days."