INUVIK - Lots of artists in the NWT use bone in their art. Not many use fish bone, however.

Textile artist Margaret Nazon has long been fascinated by the art of creating textured images with fish bones and scales.

Maragaret Nazon lays out dried whitefish scales for use in her colourful designs. Two whitefish skulls laid side-by-side make a perfect butterfly. - photo courtesy of Margaret Nazon

After lots of research and experimentation, she now makes her own designs using those materials against a leather or velvet background.

"Because I have a fish camp and I make dry fish every summer I always used to wonder what can we do with these bones and scales," she said. "When I heard about the fish scale art I thought I would try it out."

She played with the unusual art years ago but she said she wasn't intrigued by the creative potential of the medium until a couple of years ago, when she encountered fish scale artwork from Northern Alberta at the annual Creative Stitching and Crafting Alive art show in Edmonton.

"I was amazed," she said. "So I just decided that I would try to teach myself how to go about it."

While teaching the traditional arts program at Aurora College last year, Nazon brought in Lillian Wright to instruct students in the art of working with fish scales and bones. She said she has also learned from the work of Janet Grandjambe in Fort Good Hope.

Nazon led a two-week fish scale art workshop earlier this month for children at Tsiigehtchic's learning centre. Donna Norman, Nazon's former student at Aurora College, helped teach the workshop. The children began their artwork by cleaning the scales.

"They weren't too pleased with that because it was very slimy," Nazon said. "Once that was done and the scales were dry they started getting excited when they saw the work that Donna was doing."

Cleaning fish scales takes a day of washing and re-washing in warm soapy water. Then the scales are washed in clean water until the scales no longer feel slimy and then laid on paper to dry.

"While the scales are drying they curl, giving them a nice shape," Nazon said.

The children made rock art by gluing fish scales coloured with food dye on round or flat rocks. They also made fridge magnets, broaches and decorated driftwood with multi-coloured scales.

Nazon works with scales and bones from whitefish and coney fish. She said she plans to use bones from loche fish when she catches some this fall.

"I don't do the traditional scene," she said. "I like to do something different. I've done a dancing person all in scales and beads. I've done one of a dragonfly mixed with porcupine quills and lots of sun catchers."

The translucent scales, even when dyed, reflect the light with a pleasant soft glow, she said.

"I'm still experimenting," she said. "One day, maybe next summer, I should have some work done."

In addition to scale and bone art, Nazon is crocheting and preparing for an upcoming art contest. She is also working on a backlog of commissioned work since the tradition art program isn't being offered this year.

She is creating multimedia depictions of galaxies inspired by the pictures broadcast online by the Hubble telescope. She is completing one such scene using all kinds of beads, buttons, wood and yarn sewn on black velvet titled Eskimo Nebula.