The Legend of the Salmon People
"Salmon are themselves a proud race. They are happy to come ashore each year and give their rich flesh to feed the people, but they must be treated with respect."
Donna Joe, Salmon Boy
First Peoples Principles of Learning
-
Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential.
-
Learning recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge.
-
Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.
-
Learning involves patience and time.​​
​
Sketchbook Research
Working across two adjacent pages on your sketchbook;
​
http://www2.laiwanette.net/fountain/return-to-the-water-first-nations-relations-with-salmon/
1. What is the significance of returning the bones of the salmon to the water for the coastal first nations peoples?
2. What is the spiritual importance of "Animal People" to many first nations cultures? Give an example.
"Snake" your responses to these questions into your drawn studies. They could fill a blank space completely or follow a shape within your composition, the text could change in shape and size.......
Choose a specific species of Salmon you would like to study and note the specific characteristics of the species that are interesting and unique.
​
Draw, draw, draw...........
1. What does the head, scales, fins, tail, shape looks like?
2. What textures do you see?
Fill your two pages with visual studies working from observation. Create one full sized drawing of our salmon that spans both pages and then a series of thumbnail sketches that surround it that address the above two questions.
Elder Ralph Philips
Pinch a Fish
​
The base of your ceramic salmon will be created from 5 consecutive pinch pots and a tail piece. It will be very important that your pinch pots are strong, even in thickness and a bowl like shape like the image on the left. This may need a little practice so don't get frustrated. This process will be demonstrated in class.
Once you pots are created they will need to set up to leather hard. While you are waiting, roll out a slab and practice both additive and subtractive processes to create texture.
Add details to each pinch pot
Think about how they are going to hang in succession
Refer to your sketchbook for details and shape (the pinch pots and be stretched and paddled)
​
Don't forget to put a 3 millimetre diameter hole through the top of each pot for hanging (think about balance).
​
The tail will be constructed from a slab.
Make sure you are on time for every class and prepared for daily demonstrations.
Example of Pinch Pot base - prior to both additive and subtractive texture and details