many families drum

This new shamanic drum is called many families. It is a clear deep gold, so transparent that whatever is near the drum becomes part of its face--part of its family. This 14" hoop drum was recently made at a drum workshop here on Cortes Island where two deer hides from a local hunter and several hoops made from local spruce were equally prepared by everyone. It is interesting to me that as all of us worked on both skins without having preferences or prejudices for what hide would eventually belong to which drum maker--the two hides became more and more clear, as if not claiming ownership caused the drum skins to keep releasing what would muffle the voices that were coming.

Throughout the three days it took us to prepare the skins to be stretched across the frames we were each careful to keep taking turns with every task on each skin. When it was time to cut out the drum heads we let the hides choose the drums they would become, because of course each drum pattern fit best in one area of the skin but not in others. In this way we never imposed our desires on the process of making the drum, but let the process reveal each drum's best fit to us. I feel this is why this shamanic drum has such a generosity of clarity. It has only ever had to be itself, and therefore we can each see ourselves in its face.

THIS DRUM HAS BEEN SOLD

See more painted shamanic drums and felted drum beaters on www.journeyoracle.com

The Singing Child Drum

This large drum of Cortes Island deer hide and spruce wood has a remarkable voice. The beat has a deep, resonant tone, while the drone--the continuous sound upon which one journeys to the Spirit world or does healing work, is a clear high tone like a bell. I have never heard anything quite like it. I imagine this is because the drum is a rare combination of a very thin skin from a young deer stretched onto a large frame, giving an unusual amount of surface to support the drum's harmonics.
This is especially a singing drum. I sing across its surface while holding it at an angle with the edge of the drum head close to my mouth. The sound of my voice expanded and magnified becomes truly an other world sound. I have heard this sound in Eskimo healing chants.


My drum beaters are felted with wool from island sheep, and fitted onto driftwood polished by wind and tide and left along the ocean shore. The lacing and wrappings are made of traditional smoke tan elk or deer leather. I name my beaters with the forces of nature that bring their voices to join in your drum song to Spirit.

THIS DRUM HAS BEEN SOLD

The Singing Child drum, unpainted…$350.00

shipping additional


padded doeskin drum stick
with French hitching: Autumn…$60.00

sold separately

Felted drum beater shown has been sold

If this is your drum—email me at journeyoracle@gmail.com

See more painted shamanic drums on www.journeyoracle.com

The Night Drum

This 14" hoop drum of Cortes Island deer and spruce wood was made during a demonstration at my recent shamanic journey art and drum exhibition: Staying Awake in the Spirit World. Although I thought I had several skins to choose from, only this one, with both the bullet entry and exit holes, was available to me. A drum containing the hole of death for the deer, and the hole of life as food for the hunter, is destined for special work. I do not try and arrange such magic--it naturally happens when the drum head can only be fitted onto the skin in such a way that includes this.
Just at the end of making of this drum, when a few of us were left in the gallery after I had finished tying off the last cords, a bat flew into the space. It showed no alarm but flew expertly around and among the hanging drums in the display , and then left through the upper window into a starry night. I took the wet, newly made drum out into the dark, and offered it to the four directions. I blew my breath as food into its good voice, and then held it up to the stars.

This was an old deer; the sound of this drum is rounded and mellow, with harmonic tones in the lower range. The bullet hole in the drum's surface is completely stable and will not crack or tear. The exit hole is supported by the drum rim and anchored with lacing. This drum is able to navigate in the dark, and will be a strong companion into the night.


THIS DRUM HAS BEEN SOLD


See more painted shamanic drums on www.journeyoracle.com

Purchase a Frame Drum

This drum skin is so delicately patterned with a filigree of designs made by the deer himself, that I have not yet been able to add my painting to its perfection. The deer whose skin became this drum grew up on Cortes Island, probably eating apples from the pioneer orchards that dot my neighborhood and browsing on cedar tips and huckleberry buds. I receive my hides from Island hunters that I know, and whose respect and care when hunting I value. I know the man who shot this animal, and know all parts of the deer’s body became food or went to island artists like myself.
The drum skin is stretched on a 14” ash wood frame. I choose ash wood because of the belief in ancient cultures that the essence of humankind originated from the ash tree. It is the inner and outer worlds linked. The tree was regarded as one of the seasonal guises of the Goddess, associated with thunderstorms which water the earth, and with the birthing season of animals. Especially, it is the Great World Tree from which Odin hung himself to receive illumination through contact with the dead. In myth, it contains the power of the sky and sun gods, and yet its magical abilities have to do with the element of water. These are beautiful bones upon which to stretch a voice calling to Spirit. I float my drum skins around hoops of wood, and fasten these energies together with a cedar ring. Cedars are the Grandmothers and Grandfathers of these northern forests, and it is an honor to gather the withies with songs and gifts to these majestic trees.

My drum beaters are felted with wool from island sheep, and fitted onto driftwood polished by wind and tide and left along the ocean shore. The lacings and wrappings are made of traditional smoke tan elk or deer leather. I name my beaters with the forces of nature that bring their voices to join in your drum song to Spirit.

This drum has been sold.

unpainted 14” frame drum…$250.00

shipping additional


felted drum beater: Fire…$70.00

felted drum beater: Smoke…$90.00

sold separately


If this is your drum—email me at journeyoracle@gmail.com

See more painted shamanic drums on www.journeyoracle.com

Journey Drums

The journey drum is art-full; an object whose beauty is a reflection of the goodness of fit of every part, and every part between the parts. The wood, skin and pigments of my deer hide drums are also beautiful because they have spiritual significance. You see that something is going on in the subtlety of the painting with earth pigments, in the pattern and number of thongs, in the details of construction, besides the design and number and pattern. It is this opening into Mystery that touches you; like learning from native elders that because every thing is connected—all the parts matter.

I have drawn from many sacred stories when learning to be a frame drum maker, especially those telling of the women's drumming traditions in old European goddess cultures. My experience watching First Nations drummers assemble pow wow drums, and hearing Layne Redmond play frame drums, led me into a slow process of detective work to re-member from the ashes of white history, the legacy of women as drum makers and players.

The images on my painted frame drums come from gazing, while in a light trance, at the surface of the frame drum until creatures and beings appear. You see in these paintings on deer hide that I am bringing their images from another reality into this one. My skill is in being true to the appearance they show me, and not to my fine art training.

I build my drum beaters with the same skill and care that I bring to my shaman drums. I gather driftwood from the beach, and create felted drum beaters on these weather-sanded forms. The handle wrapping and trim of deer and elk smoke tan leather will feel old and strong in your hand and you will hear the forces of nature—of storm, fire and snow—giving their voices to the song of your shamanic drumming.