Birds of a different feather

If you've been following this blog you may have read about my friend's arctic adventure in Igloolik which is within the Arctic Circle.

Among the many people she has met in the village and in the area, there are several Inuit carvers and artists who paint and draw.

She surprised me the other day with some tiny birds carved in such intricate detail I was amazed. I need to take their pictures with a flash I think for you to see them. This tiny eagle or falcon is no more than an inch and a half high sitting on a rock that is taller than it is. I just had to share the images even if my pictures hardly do them justice.

The whole piece of soapstone is immaculately polished and worked - the tiny feathers, the eyes, the feet and wings... all beautifully carved on such a tiny scale, I was amazed when I saw it.

You can see the detail better in the photograph of the two birds below.

Truly there is some pretty fascinating stuff happening in the out of the way corners of the world, if we just get to explore - wouldn't that be exciting? I consider myself truly blessed that these treasures came my way. Sparks my imagination!