I’m still Standing.

When I brought home my sculpture and jewelry from the market after the fire, I wasn’t feeling optimistic about salvaging any of it. But I’ve been trying different cleaning methods and I’ve had surprisingly good success in saving some of the pieces. The bone jewelry especially has come out great. As clean and shiny as it was before the fire and only smelling vaguely of dawn dish soap. The larger bone pieces, like this whale, have not whitened like the jewelry. Where a small piece is carved from the densest part of the bone and is easy to clean, a larger piece of bone has many different characteristics, including tiny pores and cracks. This whale was hung on an exposed wall and was covered in a heavy layer of ash. And while it too smells only of dawn dish soap, it has retained a patina of the ash stain in those pores and cracks. However, the more I contemplate the appearance, the more it makes me think of very old scrimshaw on ivory, and the more I see beauty in it. It’s like this whale has a history, has seen things and is proud of it. Originally mounted on a blue base, it is now mounted on a weathered piece of lobster trap which better suits its colouration. 11”x 2 1/2” with a sawtooth hanger on the back. You can see it @charlottetownfarmersmarket or on my tiny gallery. #stillstanding #bonecarving #carvedbone #whaleart