Leona Belleau showed what imagination, artistic talent and advanced computer skills can result in with her wonderful display of digital artwork at the first hopefully annual Esket Art Show and Sale at Alkali Lake.
With time, patience, trial and error this self-taught young woman has emerged as a talented digital artist.
In a room full of more traditional First Nation art-styles, Belleau’s display heralded a ‘new age’ of native artistry as did the booth and work of another youthful artist, Rosaire Dick.
Rosaire was showing his artistic skills in the making of hand-painted latex face masks, just in time for Halloween.
First he makes a plaster face mould, then he pours a layer of liquid latex over the plaster-caste which is later eased off after a drying period.
Then whimsy and talent take over as he takes paintbrush in hand to add his own artful design (or your choice) to the mask.
Lucy Dick of Alkali was all smiles as she displayed her magnificent handiwork, beadwork of superior quality at the show held Saturday, Oct. 1 in the Sxoxomic School gymnasium.
Her featured items included regalia items such as headbands, fans, medallion-rosettes, lahal sets of bones and sticks with beautifully beaded stick handles, earrings, hairpieces, beaded buckskin and other leather bags.
Some custom pieces featured emblems for groups such as the Philadelphia Flyers.
Dick shared a both with her parents, Maurice and Shirley Chelsea who brought walking sticks, rattles (hide with wood handles) and hand-drums.
Terry Fehr and his sons, Micah and Jeremy paused to listen as Frankie Robbins play a song for them on a native flute.
On display in Robbins’ booth was an astonishing array of goods, including pieces of regalia; beaded medallions, feathered head pieces, fans and tail-bustles, drums, belts, native theme-fabric upholstered folding stools/chairs and so much more all of which was beautifully crafted.
Seated on a stool nearby Frankie’s brother, Wip Robbins was busy carving an intricate eagle-head into an antler tine using an electric carving tool.
A third brother, Basil had hand-drums for sale in his booth; an artistically-gifted family group.
The array of talent was truly amazing.
From the expected traditional arts such as drum-making, beadwork and carving to the unexpected; quilting, digital computer art and hand-painted latex face masks, there was something to interest everyone.