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Mike’s feather boxes are carved Anishnwabe style – from 1 piece of wood. Mike splits a piece of wood and carves it into a box so the two pieces fit back together again. Then he needs a Northwest art image to carve on it, usually a totem animal or crest is carved on the box lid. The image that comes out is called by the wood itself. Mike never knows before he starts what it will be. |
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Feather Box |
Mike Balatti | |||
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| For more information or to order please call Mike at 250- 285-3108 Quadra Island, BC Canada |
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| Eagle Door Panel | ||||
Sometimes the wood says no when Mike uses his own will to create. “I tried to carve a human spirit in the wood and the wood said no. I’ve got my own spirit and it was an eagle. The wood is filled with spirit of it’s own. That is why my business is called spirit boxes and bowls – there is spirit in all wood and I believe I can connect with it.” |
When an artist is connected with wood the proper image appears at the beginning just like that. “I carved a door for someone that said he wanted an eagle. It was right for the wood and only took 10 minutes to draw the door which was an eagle with a salmon. The salmon part added itself from the spirit of the wood but it was an aspect the man’s wife didn’t like. I explained to her that when bears and eagles kill salmon they leave behind a necessary residue in the river that the fry (baby salmon) feed on so they can survive. They both loved the door. |
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