Category: Studio Process

Behind the Art, Behind the scenes, Drum December, Drum Works, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Kingston Artist, Po's Drum Making Process, Portia Chapman, Studio Process, Uncategorized

Drum December Day 7 — Releasing the Clamps on the White Oak Frame

Portia "Po" Chapman
Portia “Po” Chapman carefully releasing three blue clamps from a bent white oak drum frame during Day 7 of Drum December. The frame gently opens as Po tests the success of the first bend.
Day 7: Po releases the clamps on the white oak drum frame — the moment of truth in the Drum December bending sequence.

Drum December, Day 7’s update brings you right into one of my favourite moments in the drum-making process — releasing the clamps after a full overnight bend (in this case, it took 48 hours to dry). There’s always a little suspense in the air: did the frame hold its curve? Did yesterday’s small white oak split stay contained? OR… Would I just get slapped in the face?

If you’re new to Drum December, I’m Portia “Po” Chapman — the artist behind these handmade drum frames. You can learn more about my artwork and workshops on my About & Contact page.

Checking the Strength and Integrity of the First Bend

With slow hands and hopeful curiosity, I began removing the clamps one by one. The wood felt settled and responsive, and despite yesterday’s unfortunate split, the frame held together beautifully. The bend set cleanly and the character of the wood showed itself the way only white oak could; it was strong and unpredictable.

This is one of the reasons I love teaching you about the process of drum-making. Every piece of wood has its own story; some bend effortlessly, while others challenge you and reveal their limits as you work. Day 7 reminds me that, some days, drum frame making is as much about bravery as it is about skill.

Come back tomorrow when we will compress the white oak to the size of drum that I want and proceed to draw the cut marks for length.

See you tomorrow!

watch Video on Youtube
📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

4 responses to “Drum December Day 7 — Releasing the Clamps on the White Oak Frame”

  1. Professional Archive: Projects, Research, and Artistic Practice by Portia “Po” Chapman, Kingston Artist – Love Art by Po Avatar
    Professional Archive: Projects, Research, and Artistic Practice by Portia “Po” Chapman, Kingston Artist – Love Art by Po

    […] Day 7: Releasing the Clamps […]

    Reply
  2. Drum December Day 10 | How to Glue Before Clamping Drum Frame – Love Art by Po Avatar
    Drum December Day 10 | How to Glue Before Clamping Drum Frame – Love Art by Po

    […] the glue is ever applied. You can see the foundation of this technique in my previous posts: Day 5, Day 7, and Day […]

    Reply
  3. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I love seeing how you work,

    Reply
    1. Portia "Po" Chapman Avatar
      Portia “Po” Chapman

      Thanks. It is quite the process, isn’t it?! I just love it.

      Reply

Let Me Know What You Think! Start or Join the Convesation

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Behind the Art, Drum Works, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Portia Chapman, Studio Process

Drum December Begins at Po’s Studio

Portia "Po" Chapman
Hands bending a wooden drum frame over the knees of a person seated on grass.
Shaping the curve of a drum frame — one of the first steps in Po’s rhythm-making process.

Today marks the beginning of Drum December, a month-long glimpse into the rhythm and process inside Po’s Studio. Instead of presenting finished pieces, this series brings you into the quiet, hypnotic motions that form the foundation of Po’s drum works.

The first video is just five seconds long — a looping moment that feels like it could play forever. Simple. Repetitive. Almost meditative. It captures a small piece of the energy that moves through Po’s creative process: the balance of sound, gesture, material, and breath.

Po has always worked from rhythm. Whether she’s painting, shaping rawhide, or exploring new concepts for future installations, there’s a pulse beneath everything she creates. Drum December is a way to share that pulse with you — not through explanation, but through small, visual experiences.

Throughout the month, you’ll see short clips from the studio: textures, movements, tools, surfaces, patterns, and the making behind upcoming work. Some loops will be raw; some will be visually polished. All of them come from Po’s hands and her way of seeing.

Watch it on YouTube

This series also sets the stage for the work she is developing for her upcoming installation, where drums and light will play an important role. Think of Drum December as the first heartbeat of that larger project.

Thank you for stepping inside her studio.
More rhythm, more movement, and more behind-the-scenes moments will arrive soon.

Have a question about Drum December or Po’s Studio? Email Po’s Studio

Start Your Drum Project

— Artwork and murals by Portia “Po” Chapman, Love Art by Po

2 responses to “Drum December Begins at Po’s Studio”

  1. Professional Archive: Projects, Research, and Artistic Practice by Portia “Po” Chapman, Kingston Artist – Love Art by Po Avatar
    Professional Archive: Projects, Research, and Artistic Practice by Portia “Po” Chapman, Kingston Artist – Love Art by Po

    […] Day 1: Drum December Begins […]

    Reply
  2. Drum December Day 11 – How to Clamp a Drum Frame – Love Art by Po Avatar
    Drum December Day 11 – How to Clamp a Drum Frame – Love Art by Po

    […] for the final clamp. If you missed the early stages of this journey, you can catch up on Day 5 and Drum December Begins to see how we prepare the wood to be […]

    Reply

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Portia Chapman, Studio Process, Sustainable Craft

Papercraft Arts and Crafts Gift Chest by Portia Po Chapman

Portia "Po" Chapman

Handmade floral papercraft gift chest by Kingston Artist Portia Po Chapman, styled with vibrant pink pillows and an award-winning oil on canvas swirl painting in the background.
A multidisciplinary composition featuring my hand-designed floral gift chest, accented by vibrant textiles and my award-winning oil on canvas swirl painting.

The Gift Chest

A vibrant look at the “Papercraft Arts and Crafts Gift Chest” by Kingston Artist, Portia Po Chapman.

This multidisciplinary showcase features a hand-designed floral gift chest set against a backdrop of an award-winning oil on canvas swirl paintings, and rich textiles, highlighting the intersection of fine art and functional craft.

Art and the Laws of Attraction

In 2020, the pandemic hit. As a sculpture and installation artist, I just needed to build something that would make me happy. So, I built this chest from whatever was in my apartment studio.

This chest is emblematic of how art kept me moving over the next 2 years. By keeping art in my focus, the [Laws of Attraction] were witnessed. In 2022, I was contacted, which seemed out-of-blue, by an Arts Council member and I was not yet a member of that specific arts council. I was one of six other artists who won a Placemaking contract to paint a mural.

That mural was my launch into community placemaking murals and installations.

Materials Needed to Make the Chest:

To make a chest like this one, you’ll need:
– cardboard
– scrapbook paper
– hot glue gun
– heavy duty glue stick
– Podge
– scissors

Art is in the details.

I’m revisiting this cherished project: a custom-designed Papercraft Gift Chest. I love how the intricate floral patterns of the chest play against the fluid energy of my award-winning swirl painting in the background. It’s a perfect example of how different mediums—paper, paint, and textile—can happily add to a cohesive creative space.

Click through to my [Landing Page] to see where my artwork has taken me since 2020 – from small craft to large-scale community placemaking projects.


To contact me directly, please use this email:

📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

2 responses to “Papercraft Arts and Crafts Gift Chest by Portia Po Chapman”

  1. linda Chapman Avatar
    linda Chapman

    Hi Portia,I love the floral gift chest that you made and I love your little lamb peeking out.He is so cute and looks familiar……..I love you Nanny.

    1. Portia "Po" Chapman Avatar
      Portia “Po” Chapman

      Thank you. It was a very fun creation. I still use it to store bows, tissue papers and such.

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