Brooke Olson, who grew up on-Island, hasn't stopped creating art since she began at age four. A classically trained artist (she is currently a student of animation at San Jose State in California) who characterizes herself as a multi-interest artist, her work has evolved from oils to photography, from abstract expressionism to portraiture. Currently, Ms. Olson's attentions have turned to carving a new niche as an artist. She has become a scrimshander - an artist who carves and etches fine, detailed images on mammal teeth, bones, tusks, and antlers to create intricate pictures.
Entitled "Kracken," this piece demonstrates Brooke Olsen's meticulous style often inspired by vintage photographs and illustrations. Photos courtesy of Brooke Olson
Scrimshaw, an art form practiced for centuries by the Inuit and other native cultures along the Northwest Coast, found a home in New England during the 1800s when sailors on whaling ships created it in their ample spare time.
"It became popular when Dutch sailors began carving whale teeth and bone," explains Ms. Olson. "They missed their wives when they were at sea for months or years at a time, so many of the earlier examples were portraits of the women they had to leave behind."
Exhibiting at Louisa Gould Gallery on Main Street in Vineyard Haven, she will bring the scrimshander's magic to life in a demonstration of her craft this Friday, July 10, from 6 to 8pm.
"Rainbow Master" is one of Ms. Olson's more traditional depictions.
"Very few people really know how scrimshaw is created," says gallery owner Louisa Gould. "Brooke is generous enough to come here to share her methods and de-mystify this important New England tradition."
Self-taught, Ms. Olson typically works with raw materials that have already been prepped - sanded, shaped and polished. While the materials may vary, the process is the same: "The piece speaks out," Ms. Olson says. "For instance, it can look like a stretch of land. The discolorations [on the base material] can be storm clouds."
Ms. Olson relies on vintage photographs, paintings and illustrations of maritime subjects, as well as her own original ideas, for inspiration. She creates a meticulous illustration, using either soft pencil to outline the composition directly onto the raw material or printing it on sticky paper which she then lays on top of the tooth or tusk, etching and stippling it with a blade or carbide point. The paper is peeled off once the carving is complete. She then puts either India ink or oil paint on the tip of her finger and rubs it on the etched lines to reveal the indented illustration. "It's drawing with a blade instead of a pen or pencil," she says simply.
The result: finely detailed renderings of sea creatures, historic settings, sailing vessels, and landmark Vineyard buildings, all re-created on extraordinary artifacts small enough to hold in your hand.
Contemporary scrimshanders like Ms. Olson are finding that the raw materials they need are becoming less available and more costly: "Materials are scarce," she explains. "There's not enough to go around. That's why I feel scrimshaw is so sacred and so special."
Although global climate change is causing an unearthing of mammoth artifacts in places like Alaska, materials like tusks are rare, and worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cautious about the materials she does use, Ms. Olson is quick to point out that ivory and other traditional materials are now either extremely rare or unobtainable. "They are tightly controlled by governments or prohibited altogether," she says.
Working with fossilized mammoth and walrus teeth and tusks, she creates her pieces the old-fashioned way, using only hand tools - no machines. "I may eventually use other tools," she says, "but I've spent five years doing it with traditional methods, and I enjoy it this way."
Much of Ms. Olson's work is commissioned by Vineyard families whose ancestors date back to whaling days. "I'm often approached to create scrimshaw portraits of loved ones," she says. "I love that kind of work - creating meaningful images that become family heirlooms."
Returning home to the Vineyard each summer, Ms. Olson says that her work as a scrimshander reflects her passion for the Island and for the sea. She says, "I'll do scrimshaw until I'm 95."
Scrimshaw artist Brooke Olson demonstrates her craft at the Louisa Gould Gallery, Vineyard Haven, from 6-8pm on Friday, July 10. 508-693-7373 louisagould.com.
