Boreale Felting

Even when you live in a small northern community in the heart of the boreal forest, you still need a place to go and unwind. A cabin near a lake where the setting sun reflects off the water reminds us of the interconnectedness of all things. This painting, which is hanging from a piece of driftwood using sinew, was created for someone's cabin.

FOREST AFTER THE BURN Felted landscape using a discarded CD as a canvas 5 in diameter Wildfires are a natural part of the landscape in the boreal forest. As we drive along the highway between Fort Smith and Hay River, NWT, a stark yet beautiful scene like the one in this painting is a reminder that a fire’s impact is visible for years after the burn until the forest regenerates.

Thank you to Fort Smith's Northern Life Museum & Cultural Centre for organizing a series of pop-up shops for local artists throughout December. This week you can sniff your way through a tray of Boreale Felting's felted soaps and check out the work of Marie-Christine Aubrey, Bozena Robertson, Chris DeWolf, Jerry Fryer and Aurora Heat.

NIGHT SKY On a clear night in the North, we can sometimes see the Milky Way stretched across the sky, waves of dancing aurora floating across the celestial dance floor or whisps of clouds cradling the moon. Thank you to @Diane Maluorno for suggesting that this green tea-infused soap be named Night Sky.

FIREWEED EXPLOSION Every summer, the landscape is bathed in fireweed. Sometimes out on the land, or perhaps in a patch behind an abandoned building in town. Fireweed even turns up in jelly. Thanks to @DianeMaluorno @LindaMartin @CherylMcMeekin @GabyKoehler @AdhiraMahajan for inspiring the name for this soap scented with sandalwood, jasmine and plumeria.