s ▁Ts ut ak awa ▁began ▁teaching ▁part - time ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington . ▁An ▁important ▁influence ▁on ▁him ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁was ▁a ▁book , ▁written ▁by ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁Justice ▁William ▁O . ▁Douglas , ▁which ▁dep icted ▁ob os , ▁the ▁cer emon ial ▁stone ▁p iles ▁created ▁by ▁religious ▁pil gr ims ▁in ▁the ▁H imal ay as . ▁ ▁Ts ut ak awa ▁eventually ▁began ▁teaching ▁full - time . ▁His ▁work ▁- ▁mostly ▁paint ings , ▁prints , ▁small ▁sculpt ure , ▁and ▁wood ▁car ving ▁- ▁was ▁shown ▁in ▁the ▁North west ▁Ann uals ▁at ▁the ▁Seattle ▁Art ▁Museum , ▁at ▁the ▁Henry ▁Art ▁Gallery , ▁the ▁Z oe ▁D us anne ▁Gallery , ▁and ▁various ▁other ▁places . ▁He ▁did ▁several ▁commission ed ▁pieces ▁- ▁including ▁sculpt ure , ▁door ▁car v ings , ▁and ▁gates ▁- ▁for ▁local ▁business es ▁and ▁institutions . ▁He ▁also ▁designed ▁ch airs , ▁tables , ▁and ▁l amps . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁he ▁and ▁Ay ame ▁bought ▁a ▁large ▁house ▁which ▁became ▁his ▁studio ▁and ▁a ▁regular ▁meeting ▁place ▁for ▁friends ▁such ▁as ▁Paul ▁H ori uch i , ▁Mark ▁Tob ey , ▁John ▁M ats ud ai ra , ▁Joh sel ▁Nam k ung , ▁and ▁many ▁others . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁Ts ut ak awa ▁travel led ▁to ▁Japan ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁nearly ▁thirty ▁years , ▁visit ing ▁an ▁exhibition ▁of ▁his ▁and