We just got back from an utterly fantastic whirlwind trip. Kevin (hereafter known as “Kevin the Amazing”) took me on a road trip south to Yellowstone National Park, north to Calgary, west into the Rockies, north to Jasper via the Icefield Highway, east over to Hinton, and then south again down to Regina. Between two cameras (my faithful Panasonic Lumix FZ20 and Kevin’s shiny new Canon Powershot SX20) we took over 600 photos. I’m positively itching with delight at the thought of all the scratchboards that exist in those photos!
Here’s one example of a photo that is destined to become a scratchboard in the near future:
Akela: Grey Wolf at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, West Yellowstone. Photograph, 5 x 7 in. Copyright 2010, Tania Nault.
On the Edge: Amur Leopard. Scratchboard, 20 x 16 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
If you missed this leopard at last fall’s show, you have one more chance to see him - he’ll be at the Art Gallery of Regina’s “Homegrown” multi-guild exhibition which opens tonight and runs through June 27th. Feel free to stop by and take a closer look!
Arctic Dreaming: Polar Bear. Scratchboard and acrylic ink 11 x 14 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
So if the dream is complete, does that mean this board is now awake?
Arctic Dreaming: Polar Bear, work in progress. Scratchboard 11 x 14 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
I’m nearly done! Just in case you’re wondering about the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) in the lower section, here’s my thoughts: some Inuit groups believe that the Northern Lights contain the souls of the ancestors, including those of the animals. I wondered if Debby’s soul has joined up with her ancestors?
This has been an exciting board - I don’t normally “wing” so much of a board - but for this one, the entire Northern Lights area at the bottom of the board is scratched straight onto the board without any pre-drawing. There was something frightening, yet oddly freeing, about working in this way.
As I mentioned last week after Debby the Polar Bear (Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg) passed away I found myself contemplating a portrait of her based on photos Kevin took when we were at the zoo earlier this year. I chose a pose with her napping and once complete, plan to add colour to this to suggest a reflection of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).
Arctic Dreaming: Debby the Polar Bear, work in progress. Scratchboard, 11 x 14 in. Copyright 2008, Tania Nault.
