 Features  News Desk News Briefs News Summaries Columnists Sports Editorial Arctic arts Readers comment Find a job Tenders Classifieds Subscriptions Market reports Northern mining Oil & Gas Handy Links Construction (PDF) Opportunities North Best of Bush Tourism guides Obituaries Feature Issues Advertising Contacts Archives Today's weather Leave a message
 |
|
.
Aklavik artist to work with diamonds
Daron Letts Northern News Services Published Monday, September 15, 2008
He graduated from the two-year jewelry program at Aurora College in 2001 and completed the school's diamond-cutting and polishing program last March. "I took the course mainly to learn about diamonds and cutting and polishing them made me appreciate them a lot more," he said. "At first I thought they were just another stone but I learned to appreciate where they come from, how they're made and how precious and valuable they are. I'm looking forward to completing a series using Canadian diamonds." Working out of his home, he is developing 20 new jewelry designs that incorporate small Canadian diamonds. The specialized diamond-setting tools he purchased with help from the arts grant allow him to add the precious stone to his existing collection of designs, which feature carved mammoth ivory, smoked quartz from the Nahanni region, coral, gold and silver. "I like to make things based on traditional, Northern style using local materials when possible," he said. Buckle has been represented in a number of galleries in the south, but he is planning to distribute his new work through his own self-produced exhibits. He will hold one in Aklavik and one in Yellowknife in December. "I think artists need all the support they can get," he said. "I wish there was funds for everyone because there is a lot of talent in the North." Buckle, who has also explored carving and painting earlier in his career, regularly attends the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik. He won the Emerging Artist Award the year after completing his jewelry program.
|
