"Otter" Carving on Soapstone By Jon Pust
"Otter" Carving on Soapstone By Jon Pust
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Description
Soapstone is much softer than granite or even marble. The talc content of soapstone gives it a rating of 1 on the Mohs hardness scale. Because of this, it is easily carved.
Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Both types of alabaster have similar properties. They are usually lightly colored, translucent, and soft stones. They have been used throughout history primarily for carving decorative artifacts.
This sculpture has been crafted in the tradition of the North, utilizing natural whalebone material obtained in rural Alaska. Before the introduction of lumber and other building supplies, whalebone was a critical construction material in the treeless arctic environment. It was used for house frames, sleds, utensils and tools. As a sculpting material, it was made into dolls, charms, fetishes, and masks.
Some of the whalebone currently used for sculpting is found in ancient hunting sites or in natural
“washups” of the giant skeletons and skulls found on the beaches. This type of mineralized bone ranges in age from several hundred to perhaps thousands of years old.
Today, artists use whalebone due to the interesting textures, shapes, and special qualities not found in other materials. Whalebone sculptures are also highly imaginative and innovative. Often, the design is simply an extension of the natural shape of the bone.
As carvers continue to create artwork from this intriguing material, whalebone will always stand out as a truly unique art form.
Soapstone is a “steatite,” a precious form of soft stone that is highly valued as a carving medium, but is also used in baby powder, paints, and rubber. Deposits can be found from around the world, in colors ranging from brown, blue, green, and red depending on the mineral content.
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7 Hour Ride the Rail/Emerald Lake Combo
Enjoy your local guide and a private vehicle in the morning, then ride the White Pass Train back to Skagway in the afternoon. Follow the same path that the 1898 Gold Seekers took, into the Yukon. You'll view tumbling waterfalls, glaciers, sparkling lakes, rushing rivers, mountain alpine and forest scenery. Often, you'll see wildlife, which could include bears, moose, caribou, goats, sheep and lynx. Stop a dozen or so times to take photos and/or explore while on our tour. If you like, visit Michelle Phillip's Dog Mushing Camp. Enjoy a meal at a restaurant in Carcross or order a picnic lunch. Turn around at gorgeous Emerald Lake, the most photographed lake in the Yukon! The Scavenger Hunt is fun for all ages! OPTIONS Option #1A - train up (am), van back (pm) - most popular! This 6 hour private van tour combines with the 7:55AM northbound White Pass & Yukon Route train. You will meet your guide at 7:20 AM to begin your tour, and return back in Skagway via van around 3:30 PM. Your guide will happily drop you off anywhere in town at the end of your tour, or right back at your ship. (7.5hr total duration) Option #1B - van up (am), train back (pm) This 6 hour private van tour begins at 9:30am. We will arrive in Fraser at about 3:10pm, for the 3:25pm train ride back to Skagway, arriving at 5:15. (8.25hr total duration) Option #2 - van up (am), train back (pm) This 5 hour private van tour begins at 10:45 AM at the dock for an 11 AM tour in a private vehicle into the Yukon! This tour makes it as far as The Yukon sign (turn around point depends on activities added on). But excludes Emerald Lake (included in the 7.5 hour tour option (option #1 above)). Your guide will get you to the train station for the 3:25 train from Fraser B.C. back to Skagway. At 5:15, arrive back in Skagway via White Pass & Yukon Route scenic and historic railway. Your guide will happily pick you up from the train drop off for a return shuttle to your ship. Reduced 2026 pricing for 5 hour: Up to 5 passengers - $656.42 + tax Up to 8 passengers - $757.55 + tax Up to 11 passengers - $853.57 + tax *Train tickets are not included in the price of the tour.
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"Otter" Carving on Soapstone By Jon Pust
Soapstone is much softer than granite or even marble. The talc content of soapstone gives it a rating of 1 on the Mohs h...
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