Great Blue Heron Scrape/Etch on birchbark, traditional method; P St John-Mohawk

Description

Paul St John, Mohawk craftsman made this traditional scrape work picture of a great blue heron standing amidst cattails on an oval shaped piece of birch bark.  Great Blue Herons are majestic birds, standing between 3.5-4.5 feet tall.  They wade in marshy water; edges of streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and the ocean waiting to strike with lightning speed stabbing their fishy dinner. They walk so slowly, fly so awkwardly and sound like I imagine some prehistoric pterodactyl would sound - but when they go after their prey they are fast and graceful.
Paul has captured the majesty and beauty of this unique bird and done so in a very demanding media - birch bark.
Scrape work, sometimes called "etching" is made by painstakingly scraping off the top layer of bark to show the contrasting layer below. This is carefully done by the artist to make the design or picture.
This birch bark scraping is 6.75 high by 5.25" across.  It has an inner border of natural white porcupine quills with darker tips left on.  The outer edges are wrapped with tidal sweetgrass.  It has a loop of the edge binding cord on the back so it can be easily hung.
Paul St John, Mohawk (registered tribal member, his father's tribe) has been exploring very early birch bark etchings with help from his nephew who works at the Smithsonian and the Abbe Museums. Paul's mother is Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and MicMac, his nephew Isaac is a registered Maliseet.
Paul St. John lives in Maine near his mother's family.   His mother is Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and MicMac.  He grew up on the Mohawk lands in New York, his father's homeland.  Paul St John is an enrolled Mohawk tribal member.  Last photo is of Paul with 2 of his other works...