(soft music) - After we left mail and got back to the hotel room, we prayed and prayed.

We were lost.

We were at the end of our rope.

The Wolf is a very emotional animal.

The howling Wolf image represents how we felt at this point.

We were calling out for answers.

We were calling out for direction and guidance.

(gentle music) My name is Bill Brien.

I am a native American digital artists.

I got interested in art due to my wife.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014.

She did the surgery, the mastectomy, radiation and chemo.

She got a clean bill of health, but then around late 2015, early 2016, the cancer returned and the cancer spread.

I really wanted to share her story.

I wanted to share what she was going through and I didn't know how.

I ended up googling a free art app on my phone then I just figured I'd give it a try.

I started doodling and I made something, I really enjoyed having at my fingertips, my canvas and I stuck with digital arts since that moment I grew up around art.

My dad's an artist.

In a way my dad's own artwork has influenced me just later on in life.

As a native American artist, knowing that everything around us is alive and has meaning, I love to incorporate that because culturally, we do believe there is a spirit that's dwelling within every living thing and capturing that in art to create a story that extends my own cultural background whether it's Chippewa Lakota, Dakota meeting and sharing that with those who look at my artwork is what I try to achieve.

When I'm working on a piece that I've started, I get lost mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

There could be an hour that goes by and to me it only feels like five minutes.

The more a piece comes to completion.

I feel like it's another kind of chapter in my own life that I've completed.

The title that I choose for each piece has to have its own spirit as well as just the piece.

Culturally, as a native American, we passed on our knowledge through stories.

And so I believe that I'm doing that still with my art.

Every piece that I've created has a story that comes with it.

Passing on the knowledge of my own background as Lakota Dakota Chippewa.

(gentle music) It is in the weaknesses of both men and women where their true strength resides when and where one person is weak the other strong.

We do not have to be strong all the time.

That is a precious gift between husband and wife.

(gentle music) What I want people to take away from my art is the simple slogan of my company.

"Hope through art."

The reason I started this company and I discovered art because of my wife, Jerry, is that there's always hope in the midst of suffering in the midst of trials and tribulations.

We all go through them, regardless if it's from a loved one passing from cancer or any illness or a sudden passing of a loved one, or even just the tragedy of losing a job.

As long as we have hope things will be okay.

The Bismarck Cancer Center was where my wife received radiation treatment.

In honor of my wife.

I donate part of my proceeds from all of my art sales to the Bismarck Cancer Center.

They in turn will give those donations out to families who are going through their own cancer journeys.

Every time that I'm doing art.

I know that it still connects me with Jerry.

We spent quite a bit of time on the road going to doctor's appointments.

She always knew that things will be okay regardless of what was going on.

And I see my wife's hand guiding the art and the journey of this whole endeavor slowly but surely just guiding it along the way that drives me to continue to do what I'm doing.

I am telling a story.

Stories do have an end, but the story of life doesn't.

So this is a small contribution that I'm doing for myself for remembering my wife and hopefully passing on the teachings of my own tribal background to those that view the art and buy the art.

(gentle music) The Eagle flies high in the heavens, relying on the updrafts to stay aloft, even though they are flying high in the clouds, they still have the keenest vision of any bird to see what is before it.

This colorful Eagle allows me to be a little closer to my wife.

As I know the Eagle soar close to the heavens.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] Funded by the North Dakota council on the Arts and by the members of Prairie public.