I make jewelry with porcupine quills. I started in 20012 while house sitting for my friends in the Alaskan Interior. He is a bush pilot and she is a teacher. Since her summer was free she decided to join him on a goose banding mission. I stayed in their home on top of Becker Ridge with two hunting dogs. After a while one can run out of things to do all alone. So I acquired some quills and began making jewelry. I was inspired by the jewelry the native Athabascans make but my designs are my own.
Every once in a while I get a snarky comment or email about killing porcupines. (Insert eye roll) I am not a hunter. The last quills I acquired I gathered myself. It is certainly not my fault Porkie did not successfully cross the road in Juneau. But since he met the Grim Reaper that sunny day last summer I made use of his quills.
Here I am trying to be nonchalant while someone else is heading ‘out the road’ in Juneau and driving by. “Don’t mind me, I’m just standing by roadkill.” And on the right I am trying to neatly extract some quills so I can make more of the jewelry without yaking while doing so. At the last Art Scene I was armed with these pictures. If anyone dared to inquire I showed them these. Yes i did. hmph
The only dangerous weapon I own is a bagpipe. hahaha
Porcupine quills and an Inuit pendant I got in Juneau on a hoop necklace
So there you have it, I am not a porcupine assassin.
and note I did try to blur the pics of the deceased porkie so no whining.
gypsypipergirl 