The birchbark is harvested by hand in my backyard that's made of miles and miles of boreal forest and shield country. The fish is caught in Great Slave Lake. I wash the fishskin many times with gentle soap to retain some natural oils and avoid the skin becoming too brittle. Then I nail or tack it to a board to dry it. When dried the skin resembles heavy paper I can work with easily while handling it with care.
Before dyeing the fishskin I remove the scales and follow a similar process, immersing the skin into a dye before drying it.
Harvesting, handling and shaping all the involved materials nourishes a sense of relationship and appreciation and deepening knowledge that shapes my artwork and jewelry. I hope each piece of jewelry speaks of that and invites you into the world they come from.
