Raven Steals the Light
This design in Birch represents the legend of how raven stole the light from the Chief of Darkness. As the legend goes, there was an old Chief who had a cedar box. Inside the box the chief kept the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. No one could see them and the chief kept the entire world in darkness. The chief lived with his only daughter in a small house by a stream. As Raven was flying around, bumping into things in the dark, he heard about the chief and the box in which the old chief kept something very special. Raven went to the house but the old chief was very suspicious and would not let Raven inside. So Raven watched the house and saw that the daughter would come out now and then to get water. Raven thought and thought and came up with an idea. The next time the daughter came out of the house, Raven turned himself into a pine needle and floated down the stream and into the water bucket. The daughter carried the bucket back into the house. When she took a drink of water she swallowed the pine needle and became pregnant. After a time she had a baby boy who was not rally very good looking. The baby would make horrible sounds and as the baby grew larger and began to talk, he would beg his grandfather, the old chief to see what was inside the box. When grandfather said “no”, the baby would throw a tantrum and scream and squawk and make terrible noises. But the grandfather was very strict. After several years and dealing with these terrible tantrums the grandfather carefully opened the box a little tiny bit. As a bright light filled the room, he took out one little tiny star and gave it to the baby.
After a time, the baby wanted to see what else was in the box but grandfather still said no. The baby started screaming and squawking even more loudly until grandfather could no longer stand the noise and said he would open the box for a moment and show the baby what else was inside.
As grandfather opened the box, the baby quickly turned back into Raven. When the room was fully illuminated, Raven flew into the box, grabbed the sun, the moon and the stars, and then flew up through the smoke hole and out into the world. The sun revealed how beautiful the world was, with the mountains and forests; the rivers and streams and all the fish and other beings that lived on the earth. Raven carried the Sun and the Moon and Stars into the sky so they would forever show him these wonderful sights. That is how the sun came to be in the sky and how the moon and stars sparkle at night.
A Winters Treat - Cedar Waxwings and Mountain Ash
This is a Chinese style, Engraved and Colored Birch Panel.
In Late winter, the Cedar Waxwings return to Coeur d’Alene on their journey north from their sanctuaries in the southern states. The flocks swarm the Mountain Ash, Apple and Berry trees in the area as they gorge themselves on the left over fruit that has fermented over the winter months.
The quick energy sustains them as they continue north into the mountains.Hundreds of Birds can swarm a single tree and devour the dried, alcohol rich berries. It is quite a spectacle to observe. The tree can be laid bare in minutes.
Then they are off to the next tree as they work their way into the mountains. This engraving has micro-fine, hand etched detailing to create the feathers.
Each follicle is an individually engraved cut into the wood. This is a delicate and time consuming process that produces the hair-like textures around the head and chest of each bird. Each layer of color is built-up gradually until a desired color is achieved.