Eagle First Nations Cane

[Colin-Partridge]

Goodmorning Gang,
I know that I have been absent latley from the message board but that doesnt mean I am not carving. I was as you know in Ridgway PA for a week and now back home waiting for this mountain of snow to go away so I can get back to my big carvings again. Not that it is too cold but all my logs are buried under that moutain of snow. So while I wait for spring I decided to do a little cane carving. This is a stick that I fished out of a beaver dam that the beavers had chewed. You all know my passion for native art and I was inspired when Alfie Fishgap sent me an email when I was afraid of offending the First Nations peoples by trying to do native carvings. At that time Alfie told me that it being native isnt all about blood it is a calling. So I decided to to do this eagle cane with native symbols of the Haida West Coast peoples style. Funny enough I started this cane before I recieved my latest copy of WCI I should have waited. Bob you know him as Bobs Birds had done an eagle cane similar to the one I did and he was my inspiration to do this one. In fact he cut out the eagle head for me and gave me some hints on how to do it. Here are some pictures of the cane so far it is still very much in progress. Of course as usual I ask you for you opinion I am always open to suggestions nothing offends me I love to learn.
Colin

[Kenny_S]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

That is so kewel Colin. Love the First Nation Theme. Of course Canada's first Nation and the States First Nation are a ;ittle different. But Kewel none the less. I like it.
I am still carving a little on my Eagle head cane and have draped " Stars and Stripes"
Carved in the shaft. However, I have not been back to it for several months.
Yours has inspired me. Maybe now I can finish it.

Thanks Colin.

[Irishman]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

I have always had an appreciation for Native art. Last year I attempted to use my kid's burning kit and burn an Inuit symbol onto one of my Greenland paddles I made. As you can see from the pic, I have a lot to learn as I don't know how to burn properly, and I had never even consider carving as a hobby at that point. I'm hoping to do more so if you know of a good site with Native art to share, I'd appreciate it. I've visited Alfie's site and was quite impressed.
Patrick

[squbrigg]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Well done Colin....you've stepped outside your safe zone and embarked on a new voyage of expression! I love the designs on the shaft, they highlight the eagle so well. Can you post some more pics of the eagle? Perhaps we can give you some pointers on finishing it some as you go along? Hard to tell much from the one shot.

Bob

[Marci MN]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

I like that stick!! I too am working on one from the latest issue. I'm waiting for the eyes to arrive. LOL And then I'm going to have the puzzle on how to attatch it to the stick I've picked out.

Thanks for showing yours.. I'm inspired again to keep working on mine.

[Mottles]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Thumbs Up Well, my opinion is one beautiful artistic cane and I love the title. It's wonderful Colin that you can carve other things than big tree spirits. Soooo when the winter snows come you can stay nice and warm inside carving canes and other subjects.
Good Job,
Kathy

Patrick, good go on the woodburning.

[Kenny_S]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Patrick, that isn't anything to be ashame of. I too have not burned much and have lots to learn about it as well as carving. But from the picture looks to me like a fine job.

Keep at it!

[Lightningbolt]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Yes, it is good to see you working on a beautiful walking stick when, as I recall, it was last winter about this time when you were in a carving "rut" without much carving fever. And now there is a mountain of snow outside with all your logs underneath and here you're producing a great stick! Nice to see you in a mood to "Get R Done"!! Not to put you in another rut but the weather here is just too nice and the N.C. mountains are suppost to be in the upper 70's this weekend, but I'll be in Alabama so who care's?!!

Your stick is really nice and I also have a great respect for the native art of the coastal tribes from Washington, British Columbia, and into Alaska. I have several books from when I have traveled there over the years and especially back in the 80's I was studying it quite hard.

Just curious, but I was wondering if that eagle head was attached to the stick and if so, how did you do it? I've used both dowel rods and the all-thread steel rod methods and was just curious.

Looks like you're having some fun with the woodburning pen too. Too bad it's not hot enough to go melt loose your beloved logs from that mountain of snow!! :-)

[Bartster]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

colin,

great looking cane, i cant decide what i like best your big carvings or your sticks,

thanks for posting

bart

[Colin-Partridge]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Dave the eagle head needs much more work it is only resting on the top of the stick to show what it will look like. I intend to drill out the center and attatch it by the use of a dowel. I also will be adding more native animals to the stick I will update the progress as I go. Thanks for all the nice comments.
Colin

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

It seems we all have to do an eagle cane at one time or another ha ha

[squbrigg]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Beautiful work Dave. Great looking canes.

Bob

[Colin-Partridge]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Oops sorry I just realized that I didnt aswer your question Dave. The eagle is attatched to the stick by a dowel I have enclosed a picture. Also I have listed the symbols from top to bottom I know this is a repitition of another thread that I answered but just in case you didnt see it. From Top to bottom as follows. Eagle head, Raven, Grizzly bear, Sun, Killer Whale, dragonfly, beaver, otter, puffin, bear and cub, bee, and owl, Still a long way from finished I do a little on it each day. Bob as for carving the eagle head I will get a few shots of it tomorrow in the daylight and post it also I will post as I get further along and into the painting. Thanks all for the positive comments.I have posted the remainder of the pictures in the thread "Need ideas for a stick" so it wont let me post them here.
Colin
Colin

[whitecree]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

Not bad at all. Are you using a template to draw your ovoids, or doing it all freehand?

A little late for this particular stick, but have you considered carving the other animals into the stick, in effect making a totem pole? If you do, it then becomes a 'talking stick'. In west coast 1st nations lore, when somebody was holding a talking stick, everybody else had to keep quiet and listen.

[Colin-Partridge]

Re: Eagle First Nations Cane

just an update on the cane I am still not finished it that is only because I have to work on 20 different carvings at once. My wife says its my ADD I cant concentrate on one thing at a time. Problem is she is absolutly right in fact I have seven carving on the go as we speak. The eagle head is just about finished I still have to glue it on and transition the white feathers into the brown feathers. I also have done about 10 more animals on it and still need to do a few more. Here are the pictures as it is I will try to finish it up this week, no promises though because I will probably start another carving. Now I have it just about done I think it looks more like a seagull beak is too long I think, oh well live and learn.
Colin