Secret Spaces / Private Spaces

Several years ago I undertook to complete a 'project' that I had started when I was still a university student in the mid 1960's.  I had made sketches for a scupture that I wanted to call "Secret Spaces".  I finally made it happen with the time I was able to glean with retirement. I have a series of images taken of the sculpture in both a summer and winter setting.  Click on the link above to go to a special page that shows you various imges of this single work.

 

 

Making Wood Ceremonial Rattles

Several years ago I undertook to make ceremonial rattles from wood from this forest rather than from rawhide or gourds.  I had not seen this done before and did not know if my efforts would be successful.  I have gifted sets of these and similar rattles to Traditional Medicine Men / Women who use them in their prayer ceremonies.  Since then I too use a set during the Inipi / Sweat Ceremonies that I have been honoured to lead at Friendly Forest.  I was explaining the process I go through to make the rattles.  While the end user may not have any concern how it is made, just how it sounds and how it feels, to a wood worker the process may be of interest.  Click here to go to a page which illustrates the process I have used.

The rattles shown to the right were custom made for a Dene Mentor and feature aromatic cedar handles, birch wood rattle chamber and wolf  head image carving.  The two leather bags were hand beaded with wolf paw prints.

Though this is not really "for fun", I get involved in things in my community.  Our Lakeland Christian Community Home Ministry of Care group has been hosting a community memorial service.  One such service was held on November 30, 2003, and followed the pattern of our previous services.  It provides a prayerful and supportive context in which people can remember those who have died but whose memory still brings the pain of loss.  I decided to post the service that we created for this memorial and you can view it by clicking this link: