Portia “Po” Chapman in her Kingston Art Studio, documenting the intersection visual arts research, nature-focused colour-blocking, and professional project execution.
Drum December Archive
Join Po on her step-by-step journey of making a deer over white oak frame drum.
This is a new 2026 addition that will take a deep dive into Po’s world of inter-disciplinary, storytelling art. Po pioneers the contemporary manifestations of visual storytelling illustration art by merging sculpture, installation, murals & drums with traditional print and digital mediums.
On Day 8 of Drum December, Po’s assistant compresses the bent oak while Po marks the board where she will cut it on Day 9.
Thank you for watching along as we engage on this drum making adventure. This is the first time that I have made a white oak drum frame and as you can see, it has been an adventure.
On Day 8 of Drum December, my assistant and I prepare the steam-bent white oak which is to be cut off in order to create my preferred drum diameter. The reason I mark the wood this way is because the best sounding drums have the least glue. So by marking it with both ends overlapping, I can judge how large the completed joint will become. I aim for a 2″ drum frame joint when the drum is complete.
For more information about Love Art by Po drumssee here.
The Art of Compression Without Snapping the Frame
The process of compression without snapping the frame is exceptionally nuanced and requires much attention. This is the reason why I prefer dry-bending the final bend. The stunning personality of every piece of milled and bent timbre is felt as the compression reaches its limit. I have tried mechanical bending methods but those methods remove the connection with the fibres, and this process needs to be gentle and understanding.
Hugging Drums is Like Hugging Trees
Just because a tree is cut down and made into lumber, it never stops being a tree. I grew up listening to trees. For 18 years of my life, they sheltered me, comforted me, and taught me ancient lessons of beauty and strength. I met my ancestors as they stooped down, inviting me to sing as their branches drummed a beat for me to follow. In my second year of my BFA, the apple tree, that I used to climb as a child, died and began falling to the ground. In a way, I felt to blame for its loss of health.
You see, I left it in the field when I went away to University. So for my first large sculpture installation, I gave it back its voice by sculpting it back to its life giving form – even with birds nests and robin eggs. I could once agin hear it whisper. In the spring, when I returned to the field, the apple tree, at the very top, was growing leaves reaching to the sky. Today, as I make frame drums, it is my way of giving back to the trees – to hear their voices sing again. For me, I feel blessed to be a drum maker. It is a calling. It is LIFE! When shaping drum frames, I hug them just like I hug trees still able to stand. Every drum frame is realized out of love and respect. To read more about Indigenous relationships with trees, follow this link. But please come back.
Gentleness Guided the Bend
For the compression, you will notice in the video, my assistant has rested the white oak on his lap. By doing so, he makes full contact with both sides of the new drum frame shape. He can feel the oak tighten and relax. He makes it look so easy after many years of woodworking, but this critical step truly requires inner stillness. After all, I learned to hug trees because of him. As he bends it, he can hear the oak say when it has coiled enough. Just as it reaches its chosen limit, I can sense it too.
This white oak, has required understanding more than the other hardwoods. But, when it reached its bend limit, instead of screaming out, it gave a relaxed sigh of relief, like it said: “Finally back home.”
Marking the Board
Due to the length of the video, it is unclear where I marked the piece. In this case, I marked it in two locations. Often, I do one continuous mark across both edges. Again, this is not a science. I wish that I could give a clear instruction, but it really is again about… Knowing the right spot(s).
When I set out to write this post about this seemingly simple bend and mark, it was not my intention to share the spiritual, soulful relationship of bending drum frames. I guess, the ancestors thought that it was a good time to remind us that drum frames and drums are just as much part of this life as they were as trees. Please know that when you buy (adopt) one of the drums that I make, your drum has been nurtured into existence with care.
Come back tomorrow for Day 9 – the painful moment of cutting the frame to size.
[…] To solve this, I developed a proprietary dry-bending technique. The wood is pre-bent and shaped before the glue is ever applied. You can see the foundation of this technique in my previous posts: Day 5, Day 7, and Day 8. […]
Po has Drawn on Shape and String Holes and is Ready to Cut the Rawhide
In order to cut the shape, I first draw on the pattern. In order to do this, I lay the drum frame on the soaked rawhide and draw the shape with an HB pencil that is not very sharp. The size that I draw on is usually about 2-1/2″ larger all the way around the frame. So for a 14″D frame, I draw on a 19″D shape that is the same shape of the frame. After I do this, I mark the string pleating holes, to be punched out later. This can be a very frustrating step, so I create a paper template and fold the paper to assure that the pleat holes are perfectly symmetrical. I will be posting another how-to concerning this step, but basically the two holes close together are for the pleat and the wider space is where the hide will lay flat against the frame when dry. The number one thing to remember is, the pleats must be evenly spaced and even in number, such as 8, 12, 16 pleats and so on. Keep the string holes about 3/4″ from the edge, all the way around. Premium drums have 16+ pleats. But to begin, I would only use 8 or 12 pleats.
Step 2: Cutting the Rawhide
Po Cutting Soaked Rawhide to be Stretched Over the Drum Frame
Cutting rawhide is fairly easy to do if the hide is thin. In this step-by-step guide, I am using opaque elk because this drum head will be painted. Elk and deer are from the same family. Deer is typically the more thin of the two. I will be posting another guide concerning the different rawhides, but for now a rule of thumb is: 14″D and smaller drums use deer or elk. In the photo at the top of this post, I am stringing a 14″ D drum with a coiled white cedar frame that I have painted. In order to cut thin elk, I find that using kitchen sheers or fabric scissors does a good job.
Step 3: Punching the String Holes
Po Punching Hole in Rawhide for Stringing the Frame Drum
This step is quite simple, once you have the hole spacing figured out. After I mark on the dots for stringing the drum skin pleats, I use a leather hole punch. There are two hole punches that are readily available to purchase at craft and building supplies stores, they are: ones that work like scissors (as in the photo above), and punches that resemble awls that you hammer through the rawhide. The former is usually strong enough for deer and elk, but the latter may need to be used when punching moose and bison. Punching holes through rawhide is not like punching holes through note paper. Rawhide is fibrous, almost stringy. When it is soaked, it becomes thick and rubbery too. In other words, every hole punches differently from each other.
Step 4: Situating the Drum Frame
Po Placing Drum Frame in Centre of Cut Rawhide
Before stringing, I check to make sure that everything fits and is evenly spaced. I place the finished drum frame in the centre of the cut and punched rawhide. To assure that it fits the way I want it to fit, I use a ruler and measure the distances between the frame and the edge. All the way around, there should be the same amount of rawhide outside the drum frame.
Step 5: Measuring out the Sinew
Po Stringing Through First Punched Hole After Measuring Out Sinew String/Lace
I use synthetic sinew for stringing. Some people call the sinew, “string,” and other people call it, “lace.” There are 4 types of string/lace, that are commonly used, they are: sinew (from a deer’s Achilles Tendon), synthetic sinew (buy by the spool), rawhide (thin strips that are cut from the perimeter of a soaked piece of rawhide), and rope for large moose, double headed, pow-wow drums. Measuring out the sinew is a tricky, nerve wrecking procedure. The length you need, needs to be one continuous strip. I measure about 5′ of string for every 1″ of drum frame diameter. So for a 14″D drum, I measure out 70′ of sinew. For a 24″ drum, I measure out 120′ of sinew. Also, just to be safe, I measure out another 20′ of sinew. I ran short once. I never want that to happen again. So now I wheel off extra! “Better safe than sorry,” as they say. This is the number 1 reason I use synthetic sinew. It is the best choice to use 120′ of continuous string.
Step 6: Stringing the Drum
While Stringing the Drum, Po Measures the Edges to Assure that the Drum Frame has Remained in Place
To string a drum, I pull one end of the string through one hole and then through the hole on the exact opposite side. Please note, I pull the entire strand through both holes, leaving about 2′ hanging outside the first hole. Then I continue to do the same, all the way around the drum, crossing the strings through the centre. In the image immediately above, notice that the string passes through the frame-side of the pleats (the two closest hole pairs). This allows for an attractive, elegant pleating of the hide. So when stringing, pass your needle through the outside of the hide, across the inside, and then through the inside to the outside. You’ll catch on. The practical reason I do this is due to physics. By pleating through two holes, rather than one, creates a stronger hold while applying less pulling on the individual holes. If you use one hole, you stand a pretty good chance that the rawhide will rip through. Believe me when I say: “YOU DO NOT WANT THAT!” Please note that I am creating a video to illustrate this more clearly and will be posting in the near future.
Step 7: Creating the Strung Spokes
After Stringing, Po Creates Spokes to Hang Onto While Drumming
Before I begin with this step, take a look at how the pleats look after the rawhide has been stretched and strung. By stringing through the frame side of the pleats, a uniform pleating is created and the pulled holes are firm and uniform. If you want to make a premium drum, you will need to master this step with this method of drum stringing. Now onto the spokes. From what I can tell, in various traditions, the spokes are formed by wrapping cord, sinew, or deer hide. Locally, they are formed and wrapped using split deer hide. I prefer using the continuous synthetic sinew because it is strong and I prefer the appearance. So what I do is, I wrap the sinew around multiple pleat (forming) strings. As you can see in the photo, I am wrapping 10 strings (5 pleats’ worth) together. I wrap them as far up as I want to achieve the desired tightness of hide. When I reach the furthest point desired, I weave the sinew through the individual strings 3 or 4 times. This creates a basket weave appearance. I do this to anchor the spoke so that it won’t slide out of place. When the weaving is complete, I wind the sinew back down the spoke. Once the centre knot of the strings is reached, I wrap the centre knot a few times and pull it tightly. Then I proceed to create another spoke. Once all 4 spokes have been created, I knot off the string behind the main centre knot. At this point, the drum is complete. I then sit the drum in a dryish (50% humidity) location with good ventilation above and below the drum. In just a few days the drum is ready to be drummed.
Hi, I am Portia “Po” Chapman from Kingston Ontario. I am an artist who hand makes unique frame drums. On this post, I will show you how to pick the best hardwood pieces for single-ply, steam bent drum frames. You’d think that it is easy, but it is not. Follow these steps and you will improve your chances of success.
Po Returning from Lumber Supplier
What Types of Wood are Best for Bending Drum Frames
My top 3 woods to use are: red oak, maple, cherry. I have not had much luck using white oak or walnut. All the research I have done, says that white ash is the best, but I cannot find a white ash supplier and the white ash drum frames that I have purchased from other suppliers have been economy grade. So for this article, I will address my preferred 3 woods mentioned above.
Po Sanding End Wedge of Red Oak Board Before Steaming and Bending. Notice the Long Grain Without Knots.
How to Choose Wood for Drum Frames
When selecting the lumber at the yard, be sure to choose wood without knots, splits, or swirling/wandering grains. All three of these characteristics will result in drum frames that crack and break while bending them into a drum shape. You want to pick long straight grains that do not drift off to the edges of the board. It will take you some time to find the ideal ones. Note: you pay the same price if they are in the same pile, so take your time to choose the most suitable ones.
What Size of Lumber to Buy for Drum Frames
The next thing with which to concern yourself is the board length and width. Most frame drums / hand drums range from 12″-16″ in diameter. To create drums frames of these diameters, you will require boards between 4′-6′ long. If you can afford it, however, purchase boards 7′-8′ long to assure that you can make drum frames after potential splitting during the bending process.
Notice How the White Oak has Snapped. In this Photo, Po’s Assistant is Compressing the Drum Frame to be Marked for Cutting. Be Sure to Have Enough Wood to Accommodate for Splits and Breaks During the Milling, Steaming and Bending Phases of Frame Drum Making.
Recap – How to Choose Wood for Steam Bending Drum Frames
I choose Red Oak, Maple, or Cherry woods that have long straight grains and have no knots. My preferred stock is 1″ thick, 7′ long and 4″-6″ wide. In Kingston, these boards will run between $50 and $100 each. In short, making steam-bent hardwood drum frames is not a cheap art in which to dabble. At my private art studio in Kingston, I make rawhide drums from 8″-23″ in diameter and range in price from $200-$2000.
Portia Po Chapman Reveals Drum Bag Collection at The Maker’s Hand
This is my first year exhibiting at the juried craft show, The Maker’s Hand. As a drum maker, I am often asked if I sell drum bags. Well… up until now, the answer was, “NO.” I have been working on the drum bag design since March Break 2024. I attempted 3 prototypes and without the appropriate leather, sewing machine and hand threading equipment, the bags just didn’t stand up to my creative vision. Those 3 bag designs, in other words, are on hold for now. But in desperation to produce a bag so close to the show date, my creativity engine kicked into high gear. I had been overthinking it. So, knowing what worked and did not work with my previous attempts, I figured out this amazing bag. I’m sure that you’ll love it as much as I do. Below is a sample of the bags that I will be selling at The Maker’s Hand in Wellington, Ontario on November 8-10, 2024.
Portia Po Chapman created blue leather drum bag front. To be sold at The Maker’s Hand in Wellington on November 8-10, 2024.
Portia Po Chapman created blue leather drum bag back. To be sold at The Maker’s Hand in Wellington on November 8-10, 2024.
The above images are of the blue small drum bag that I have created. It fits an 8″ or a 10″ drum.
At The Maker’s Hand, I will be featuring for sale 2 sizes: Small (8″-10″ drum size) and Medium (12″-14″ drum size).
Colours available will be: Blue, Pink, White and Metallic Copper.
All of the leather is genuine cow-hide from Calgary. The leather is the same chaps leather that is used at the Calgary Stampede. It is supple and snuggle worthy while being strong and rugged enough to take to drum circles.
In this collection, I integrated a drum stick pocket at the front which makes it convenient to travel with your drum stick securely stored without hitting the drum while travelling.
Also no hardware, buttons, latches, etc. are on the drum bags – this means that your drum can be carried / stored without the worry of your drum bag scratching or denting the face of your LoveArtByPo.ca drum.
Photos of Portia Po Chapman Making Hand Drums During 2021-2023
In the winter of 2024, Po began making hand-bent oak drum frames and in the summer she began making maple drum frames as well. All three, current (July 2024) drum frames available for hand drums have their own character, tone and resonance. Rawhide options include: 3 types of Deer, Moose, Elk, and Bison from across Canada.
Po unveiled some new drums at the 2024 Gather in the County: Modern Textile Market in Picton ON on June 15, 2024
Po is currently producing a few how-to make hand drum videos using her special techniques. In the mean time, Po has created 3 blog posts that list the steps of making the drum frames, stretching the raw hide, and painting the faces of the drums. Drums made by Po are considered “PREMIUM.”
The hand drums in the 2023 collection were meticulously handmade by Po using the following method:
Cedar Drum Frames: Receiving, Sanding & Painting
The raw drum frames are shipped in from Western Canada. Po has built a wood steamer and will be bending her own frames over the winter.
The raw drum frames are sanded using machinery and then finished by hand.
The sanded drum frames are then hand painted using a multi-layer rubbing technique. The drum frames used in the buffalo drums are stained/waxed. Both painted and stained frames are varnished in an oil based spar varnish so that the drums can be taken to outside drum circles.
Rawhide: Receiving, Cutting, Soaking & Stretching
For this collection, the buffalo and elk rawhides have been shipped from Western Canada. The materials support Indigenous communities. In the woods where Po grew up, huge elk wandered the land. Elk rawhide is Po’s prefered drum skin to paint.
The hide is unrolled and the rough cutting pattern is taped to the hide. To do this, Po has at least one family member hold down the hide. As you can see, the hide is too big for her to do it alone without using clamps.
Although a drywall knife will generally cut through the elk rawhide, for the buffalo, a jigsaw was needed. Buffalo is very thick and fibrous.
Below, Po is holding the elk rawhide that she rough cut for the 24″ drum: “Nature in Me.” Notice how the varying levels of transparency reveal animal and spirit faces in the rawhide.
Once the rawhides have been roughly cut, Po soaks them in spring water for about 24 hrs before stretching. In the photo below, three 10 inch drum skins have been put in together. After a couple of hours, they will naturally flatten out. For the above drum skin, Po used a kiddy pool and filled it with spring water. The skins are held down by rocks that she brought from the woods where she grew up. At least one rock will have quartz.
These are the tools that Po uses to prepare the rawhide for stretching. A different template is used depending on the size. Po’s drums have an average of 20 pleats. The 24 inch drum skin has 32 pleats. The more pleats in a hand drum, the tighter the skin forms to the frame and a more even pitch is achieved. Most drum makers use 12-16 pleats on average. 16 pleats and over (at least for 14 inch drums or larger) are considered “premium.”
After the template is drawn onto the wet and pliable rawhide, Po cuts the accurate shape and punches the string holes.
Before tightening the strings, Po measures the depth of the drum frame : drum skin ratio to best assure an even overlap. Some drums, however, dry and stretch differently. The rawhide is so strong while it shrinks and dries, that it can bend the frame and even pull the hide in its own direction. This gives each drum a one-of-a-kind hand made character.
Po uses synthetic sinew that has been pre-waxed. It takes about 60+ feet of sinew to string a typical drum. As for the 24 inch drum in the collection, Po used about 100 feet of sinew. This is where Mom comes to the rescue as Po’s assistant. Her mom, Kim, does her best to prevent the sinew from tangling during the process of Po pulling the sinew through the rawhide.
When the moon is full and bright, Po finds it peaceful to string drums outside.
The strings are then gathered in groupings and then decoratively strung with a nice wound finish. The drums in the exhibit have had the top of the centre tie waxed with beeswax. This is done to anchor the end of the sinew in the knot and to provide a personal connection between drummer and drum. The more the drummer holds it, the beeswax forms to the drummer’s hand, thus imprinting on the drum itself. This extension can last a lifetime – hand drums are that special.
The drums are put on racks to dry. The drying process takes about 3 days. During, this time, the strings tighten and the drum will sound like it is drumming or fiddle strings are being plucked.
Image: Sketching, Printing, Stenciling & Painting
Image creation begins with inspiration memories and walks. Then sketches are made from day visions and night dreams received. The collection of images for this exhibit took about 4 months to surface. Not all drawings were used. They will be kept in a file until another collection is created.
The images are then refined in such ways as to fit the collection or personality of the drum. This process is drawn by hand using a light table.
The drawn image is then digitally cleaned up to establish clean smooth lines.
A template / stencil is then printed out using a Cricut Maker.
Once the image is cut out and weeded, Po traces the image onto the rawhide using a 2H pencil.
Using No.2 and No.3 professional watercolour brushes, Po paints the drums faces with hand mixed hues of Golden So Flat acrylic paint. This is how Po’s paint technique ends up being so crisp and flat.
After the paint dries for 24-72 hrs, the face is then preserved by spraying an oil based paint/hide-friendly varnish
Presenting Completed Hand Painted Hand Drums
The end result is both a beautiful piece of art that you can display and one that you can use. Some skins are more suitable for drumming and others more suitable for display. This depends on a variety of factors. Po recommends choosing the one you love. If you need further assistance choosing your drum, someone will be happy to assist you.
All drum sales are final and without exchange or refund.
Po presented an Artist Talk about this Collection and Greeted Guests Gallery on October 26, 2023 at 6:30pm-7:30pm
One Guest Commented: “It was a great pleasure to listen to Portia “Po” Chapman (@loveartbypo) talk about her art currently on display at Parrott Gallery. Po’s inspiration comes from her close relationship with nature and her beautiful family!”
Another Guest Commented: “It was such a wonderfully positive talk about a positive art collection. Very informative and truly enjoyable.”
How to Stretch and String a Rawhide Hand Drum: Kingston Artist Portia Po Chapman’s Method
Po Stringing Her 24 Inch Elk Rawhide Drum Entitled: “Nature in Me.”
Link to: Phase 1 of Drum Making is Making the Drum Frame Link to: Phase 3 – Painting the Drum Face Link to: Painted Drums Page
Phase 2 of Drum Making is Working with Rawhide: Soaking, Stretching, Stringing
In order to make a drum, there are 3 basic stages of working with the rawhide: Soaking, Stretching and Stringing. Although these stages can be rushed, to achieve a premium drum that sings beautifully, it takes a lot of time, care and love. Hence, from receiving the rawhide to completing a playable tuned instrument, it takes about 1 month, sometimes longer. In my studio, I do all of the steps below. Please note that I do employ a shop hand to help detangle sinew when I am stringing large drums, like the one in the above image, because a 24 inch diameter drum requires a 100+ feet long continuous strand of sinew .
Phase 2 of Drum Making: Working with Raw Hide
Purchase sustainable rawhide that supports Indigenous communities across Canada.
Build relationship with the hide.
Humidity condition hide in the hide room.
Po waits for the hide to “speak” to her – it may sound strange but the hide will choose to make a drum or a drum will not be made. Working with rawhide requires patience and a lot of love.
Once the hide is ready to make a drum and make its voice once-again heard, Po introduces the hide to the frame options – this is a beautifully mystical step in Po’s drum making process whereby a holistic, earthy bond is made between wood, rawhide and drum maker.
With the marriage of drum frame and drum skin, Po designs a drum skin template with the number and placement of stringing pleats marked.
The rawhide is rough cut to match the shape of the template.
The rawhide is cleaned, scrubbed, pealed , rubbed and polished.
Sometimes the rawhide requires a sunshine bath or controlled UV bath.
Using a galvanized wash tub, Po soaks the rawhide for 24-48 hours in a rain water bath as the rawhide is kept submerged using special quartz and/or citrine rocks that she found while diving in her childhood lake.
Once the rawhide has become thick and pliable, it is removed from the water and rubbed with a soft terry towel. It is then cut to the shape of the pre-designed template.
String holes are punched (Po’s premium drums have between 16 and 30 pleats).
Of synthetic and waxed sinew, Po measures out about 5 feet per pleat – yes 80+ feet.
The frame is laid onto the underside of the rawhide and Po begins the lacing process.
As you can see in the above photo, generally, Po strings the drums by putting the string through two holes (to make pleat) on one side of the drum and then does the same on the exact opposite side of the drum. Po uses more decorative / ornate stringing patterns when stringing Po’s non-circular hand-bent drums.
Using a darning needle to string a drum, it takes Po between 2 hours and 8 hours of hand stitching, winding and wrapping the sinew as she pulls the rawhide into place. It can be tricky, when stringing large drums, because the hide begins to dry and become stiff within 30 minutes of being removed from the water. Aligning the timing of stitching and drying is possibly the most difficult thing for a drum maker must grow accustomed.
At this step, Po has found that the hide wins the tugging process. No matter how even the rawhide edge is originally made by Po, the rawhide will pull it to where it wants – resulting in a less uniform rawhide edge around the frame. Synthetic skin head drums do not present this challenge.
It is also worth noting that each animal and species’ rawhide pulls differently – and the spinal ridge pulls differently from the belly region. This takes a long time to get used to. In the case of working with rawhide as a textile, Po has had to relax and work with the rawhide, rather than demanding that it behave as she may want it to.
The drum is placed on the drum drying racks and is dried in a 50% humidity controlled space.
Once the drum is dry, it is taken out into the sunlight and drummed.
Po sings, chants and drums the new drum as they both rejoice. It is a seemingly miraculous happening.
Sometimes the general pitch of the drum is determined by drumming it beside a well tuned 1950’s Heinzman piano.
You cannot get use to the moment when the rawhide seems to come back to life and express its own voice and connection with the drummer.
The drum’s pulse throbs upon the breeze.
The ethers rejoice and the heart smiles with an air of wellness.
The central sinew knot at the back of the drum is then waxed. To try the drums, Po has people use nitrile gloves. When the drum is paid for and drummer is ready, the drummer’s glove is removed. At that time, the drummer & drum imprint. Their bond is marked by the drummer’s hand print pressed into the beeswax.
The drum is then cared for and sung with in the humidity controlled studio until it is to have a painted face (if it is ever painted – some drums refuse to be painted while other drums seek to be painted).
Another phenomenon then occurs – the drum picks the drummer at exactly the same time as when the drummer picks the drum. The moment of bonding is nothing short of magical.
Premium drums made by Po are very, very special – and premium special drums cannot be rushed.
I exhibit and sell the drums I make. Please contact me to purchase a completed drum or to discuss a custom hand drum made just for you. Drums range from $200-$2000.
I look forward to fitting you with your drum, Po
Po Standing with Drum Booth At the Gather in the County – Modern Textile Market – Picton, ON June 15, 2024
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