As one of the six offerings from Pitaloosie Saila in the 1991 Annual Print Collection, Empress of The Sea is a subtle exploration of texture. As noted in the forward to that year's catalogue, "Pitaloosie Saila is also working directly on the litho stone, exploring its potential to enhance textures and lines as she develops some of her favorite themes" [1]. This work shows a patient hand from Pitaloosie; Sedna's scales flow in a gentle gradation of shades, the skin around her face and neck are a mix of lines and forms. The seaweed floating around her also has veins and lines, some trapping bubbles on their ridges. The lithography process became one of choice for Pitaloosie, having dabbled with it in the 1980s, to then becoming an avowed fan in the 1990s and 2000s.

1. 1991 Cape Dorset Annual Graphics Collection (West Baffin Eskimo Co-op: Kinngait, 1991), unpaginated.