My art is heavily influenced by the images of my Dene culture – stories of transformation and the power of animals. My inspiration in part comes from my background in painting. My carvings have a free flowing and meandering line that represents my connection to the northern lights. I work with black chlorite stone purchased from British Columbia, Canada. I use a subtractive technique, removing large pieces of the stone first with a sawzall. I draw with a marker on the stone following the natural formations of the stone. I use an angle grinder with an abrasive disk to shape the piece. Sometimes I will use an electric drill to drill holes to remove negative spaces. I use a foredom with a variety of hand pieces, carbide tips to refine the design. I use a hammer and chisels, Italian riflers and files to soften or define edges. I use a chisel to define forms even more. I use course sandpaper to remove chisel marks. I use even more sandpaper to make it smooth and finish with tung oil.
