Top-of-the-World Girl
  • Home
  • About Inuvik, NWT
  • About the Photos
  • About the Blog
  • About the Blogger
  • Common Questions

Making a Gourd Drum at the Arts Festival

7/26/2013

1 Comment

 
As I mentioned in a previous post (here), I had the chance to make a drum at this year's Great Northern Arts Festival. 

Last Saturday I took the "Gourd Ocean Drum" class - see description below.  We took a wide shallow canteen gourd, stretched a goat skin across it, and filled it with pellets.  The pellets create the sound of waves when you
roll them across the skin side.  You can also use a stick to make a traditional drum sound. 

We then had a choice about how to decorate it - either by painting it, using fur or hide, or using the wood burning technique, which is what I tried.

Picture
The class was taught by Elizabeth Gordon, who is originally from Nunavut but who now lives in Bowman, Ontario. She specializes in making art out of gourds - this is another one of her pieces that was on display at the festival.
Picture

In the photos below I have shown the step-by-step process.  It was a lot of fun and not nearly as hard as I thought
it would be!
Picture
STEP 1: Select your gourd. I chose one with a "stem" still attached as I wanted to be able to hang it on a wall later.
Picture
STEP 2: Take a piece of goat hide that has been soaking in water, and dry it slightly. I won't lie to you - it didn't smell great when it was wet but when it dried it was fine!
Picture
STEP 3: Take a handful of pellets (we used BB pellets) and place them carefully in the centre of the skin (they like to roll around!)
Picture
STEP 4: Place your gourd upside down in the centre of the goat skin.
Picture
STEP 5: Cut the goat skin so that you have about 1 to 1.5 inches overlap around the edge of the gourd.
Picture
STEP 6: Attach the skin to the gourd, first applying a thin layer of wood glue to the overlapping skin, then stapling the skin. Start at 12 o'clock, then 6, 3, and 9 o'clock, and keep going until you have attached all the way around. Gently pull the skin tight as you go to make sure it is taut.
Picture
STEP 7: Attach a braid or ribbon with pins to cover up the staples. You can see the clock markings on the paper - place a pin at each hour mark.
Picture
STEP 8: This would be a good time to stop for a photo.
Picture
STEP 9: Decorate your gourd however you wish. Some people painted them, but I chose to try wood burning for the first time. I chose a wave pattern as I thought it would be simple, and in line with the "ocean sounds" of the drum. It was not easy but kind of fun to burn the pattern in.
Picture
STEP 10: Admire the finished product!
Picture
1 Comment

Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik

7/23/2013

2 Comments

 
Every year for the past 25 years, artists, musicians and performers have gathered in Inuvik in July along with hundreds of visitors and art collectors from all over the country and around the world to celebrate the beauty and diversity of northern art and culture.
 
This year was my second year attending the Arts Festival, and I could not resist buying some more art work for my walls, which I will show you in another post.  I also made a gourd drum, which I will tell you about later this
week (see here)!
 
For today I will show you some pictures of the gallery and some of the art on display.

You can read more on the website www.gnaf.org, but this year, the Great Northern Arts Festival celebrated its 25 year anniversary (it started in 1989). The artists are Inuit, Inuvialuit, Gwich'in, Dene, Métis and many of Canada's other First Nations, as well as non-Aboriginal artists.

The festival lasts 10 days, and includes concerts, dance performances, the gallery where the art is on display, a carving area where you can watch carvers at work, a fashion show, and my favourite - workshops to teach participants how to make pieces of art.  Last year I took a bead course with my Mum and a drawing class with my Dad.   And this year I made a drum, as mentioned. 
 
It’s definitely worth timing a visit to the North during the arts festival.  And now I will let the pieces of art speak for themselves.   Enjoy! 
Picture
Main gallery area where art is displayed and some of the traditional arts are demonstrated (sewing, beadwork, etc.)
Picture
Gourd bowl by Elizabeth Gordon (she taught my gourd drum making class!)
Picture
Carving by Leslie Leong of Whitehorse called "Song and Dance" in ceramic.
Picture
Carving by John Sabourin of Yellowknife called "Spirit Guide".
Picture
Traditional kayak being made by Kevin Floyd.
Picture
Traditional Inuit parka typically seen in drum-dancing performances.
Picture
Inuit "sunburst" doll made by Helen Iguptak of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.
Picture
White leather parka with blue fox hood and blue seakskin trim at bottom and on sleeves. Made by Faith Kreelak of Rankin Inlet, NU.
Picture
I was very tempted to buy it, but the $2,100 price tag helped me stay strong!
Picture
Some paintings on display.
Picture
More paintings on display.
Picture
Some of Myrna Button's paintings on display in the workshop area.
Picture
This beautiful painting was on display in the workshop area - I don't remember the artist, sorry :(
Picture
Another view of the gallery area with mukluks, slippers, mitts and other fur items on display.
2 Comments

These Moccasins Were Made For Walking

2/15/2013

1 Comment

 
There aren't a lot of shopping opportunities in Inuvik, as we have no malls and very few stores, so it's easy to avoid the temptation to spend money.  However, our downfall is that there are so many amazing handicrafts to buy- mukluks, carvings, muskox wool scarves, fur mitts (rabbit, seal, wolf, beaver), you name it.   And because these items are unique, hand-crafted, and use very expensive materials, you have to be prepared to dish out $hundreds or $thousands for a one-of-a-kind item.  Sticker shock is just part of the experience!

Case in point -- my new moccasins (generally just called "slippers" by the Inuit).  After a year of looking for the perfect pair, I was thrilled to see these beauties below in our craft shop for the bargain price of $250 including tax.   The reason they are not in the $300+ range is because the bottoms are cowhide rather than moosehide.  But as I will only use them indoors at the office most of the time, I didn't mind that they weren't made of moosehide.

The slippers are made of sealskin, trimmed with Arctic hare, with embroidered uppers.  They were made by Martha Kudlak of Sachs Harbour, a community of about 100 people in an area even more remote than Inuvik!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

Three Months and Counting

4/4/2012

6 Comments

 

Today marks another anniversary.  It's hard to believe it's been three months since I arrived in Inuvik!  I have no deep words of wisdom today, except to say it's amazing how fast that living in the Arctic has felt like "normal life".  And I'm loving it!

I don't have much time for a meaningful post today, as I'm getting ready for a trip over the Easter weekend to Dawson City and Whitehorse (woo hoo!), but I felt it was fitting to post some pictures of the mukluk-making course I took the weekend before last, as it was a great way of learning a traditional handicraft and ending up with something really useful!  These mukluks can be worn outside in minus 40 degree weather.  Amazing!
Picture
Our wonderful teacher, Margaret.
Picture
Cutting the pattern.
Picture
Then you add embellishment.
Picture
Cutting the uppers out of commercially-treated deer hide.
Picture
Attaching the uppers to the canvas. Enjoying the machine before the hard work with the sinew by hand starts for the real moosehide leather.
Picture
Many bleeding fingers!
Picture
Sewing the liners out of duffel and decorating with wool.
Picture
Learning the excrutiating skill of 4-strand braiding for the draw-strings at the top. Very complicated finger-work!
Picture
Making buttonholes for the drawstring at the top.
Picture
Then you cut the pieces out of canvas and sew them.
Picture
Starting to take shape!
Picture
And shoe laces!
Picture
Sinew thread to sew the moosehide soles on.
Picture
Many, many hours later... the soles are on!
Picture
Picture
Tassels for the end of the drawstring!
Picture
I decided to get fancy and decorate mine with sealskin inukshuks!
Picture
The finished product. 20 hours of labour later. These are worth about $2,000 to me!!!
6 Comments

Oh Rabbit, so Fluffy

1/20/2012

4 Comments

 
Picture

I purchased my first local item made of real fur this week -- a scarf made out of rabbit fur.  It is the softest thing I have ever felt.  Well... with the possible exception of muskox wool.  Or sheared beaver fur.  They're all so soft!


At this point, I have to pause.  I will be discussing fur and showing pictures of fur once in a while on this blog.   And I will likely buy more fur items (if I can afford them ... they're not cheap!) as I learn the best way of staying warm in the Arctic and about local handicrafts.  I'm aware it is a controversial topic, and highly sensitive for a lot of people.  For that I apologize in advance.  I have a range of friends and readers who land at very different points on the spectrum, from avid hunters (including family members) to strong advocates against fur.  And I love you all!

However, I want to show as honest and complete a view of Northern living as I can, and there is no real way of doing that without discussing fur.  Hunting and trapping is an integral part of the Inuit life, for both food and clothing, and in these climates, the difference that real fur makes in your ability to stay alive is significant.
 
I have a lot to learn about local hunting and trapping, and all the issues that go along with it, and I humbly admit my ignorance.  During my time here, I will likely learn more, and will share as I go along...

Now for more pictures.
Picture
The scarf I bought had a mixture of fur and crocheting, which makes it more of an open weave than many of the fur scarves.  This cost me $150 -- I got it direct, so there was no mark-up.
Picture
Picture


I also bought miniature mukluks made of sealskin, which can be made into a coat pull or key chain.  They are so adorable -- and cost $20.



I will also show you pictures of full-size adult mukluks from the craft store -- handmade from seal with beadwork.  Traditional mukluks are similar to boots (taller than a moccassin) made of reindeer skin or sealskin and originally worn by Arctic people, including the Inuit.  They can be decorated with beads and tassels.

I haven't decided whether I'm going to buy a pair yet, and if I do, I'll have to save up, as these will set you back $400!
Picture
Picture
Close-up of the bead-work.
Picture
Close-up of the seal-skin.
While we're on the subject of footwear, I also took photos of some moccassins (usually just called slippers here).  These cost $300 to $350!  Again, they are hand beaded.  A lot of people (local and Southerners) keep a pair at home and/or the office to slip on.  I even saw that some ladies at church leave a pair there so they can take off their boots and wear the slippers on the carpet!
Picture
Picture
4 Comments

    Author

    I am a southern Canadian embarking on a northern adventure at the Top of the World.

    Archives

    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    December 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Aklavik
    Animals
    Art
    Blizzard
    Bonfire
    Cabin
    Camera
    Camp
    Cars
    Carving
    Char (fish)
    Christmas
    Church
    Clothing
    Cold
    Community
    Crafts
    Culture
    Darkness
    Dawson City
    Dempster Highway
    Dog Sledding
    Driver's License
    Drum Dance
    Dry
    Entertainment
    Exercise
    Fireworks
    Fish
    Flood
    Food
    Fundraisers
    Fur
    Gas
    Golf
    Great Northern Arts Festival
    Greenhouse
    Health
    Hockey
    Home
    Hotel
    Hot Springs
    Housing
    Ice Fog
    Ice Highway
    Igloo Church
    Inuvik Town
    Islam
    Jamboree
    Language
    Laundry
    Legion
    Mail
    Midnight Sun
    Moccasins (slippers)
    Moon
    Mosque
    Moving
    Mukluks
    New Year
    Nightlife
    Northern Lights
    Office
    Painting
    Parade
    Plants And Flowers
    Power Outage
    Prices
    Ramadan
    Ravens
    Reindeer
    Religion
    River
    Safety
    Scenery
    Shopping
    Skiing
    Snow
    Snowflakes
    Static
    Sunrise
    Sunset
    Sunshine
    Tuk Ice House
    Tuktoyaktuk
    Utilidors
    Vitamin D
    Water
    Weather
    Whitehorse
    Work Life
    Yellowknife

    RSS Feed


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.