Tag: handmade drums

Behind the Art, Behind the scenes, Drum December, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Indigenous Art, Kingston Artist, Portia Chapman

Drum December Day 18 – How to Soak Deer Rawhide Before Stringing the Drum

Portia "Po" Chapman
A top-down view of translucent deer rawhide submerged in a water bath, with an artist's hands guiding the skin and a large dark rock used as an anchor to keep the hide from floating.
The “Sacred Soak” begins. On Day 18, we prepare the deer skin for the white oak frame. This stage requires patience, clean water, and natural earth anchors like quartz or geodes to hold the hide beneath the surface for a full 24 hours.

Preparing the Rawhide is as Much About Honour as it is Technique

Preparing the rawhide on Day 18, we step away from the woodshop and begin the patient process of rehydrating the rawhide. This is a slow, quiet transformation that requires respect for the animal and an understanding of the specific needs of the skin.

Step 1: Choosing the Voice of the Drum

I source my rawhide from across Canada, and I’ve learned that even within the same species, every hide has its own unique quality. In my workshop, I work with deer, elk, moose, and bison.

  • The Rule of Thumb: Generally, the larger the drum, the larger the species of rawhide required.
  • The Scale: Deer is typically the thinnest and smallest, while moose and bison are the thickest and largest. Moose is so substantial that I often purchase it in quarter-sections.
  • Today’s Choice: Because our White Oak frame is on the smaller side, I am using a beautiful, translucent deer rawhide.

Step 2: The Rough-Cut

Before the water touches the skin, we must define its shape. I lay the drum frame directly onto the rawhide and cut a piece that extends about 2 inches beyond the frame all the way around.

  • Tools of the Trade: For deer and elk, a pair of tin-snip scissors works perfectly. For the heavy moose or bison, I switch to a jigsaw.
  • A Maker’s Hint: Trim off any sharp points or jagged edges during this stage. This prevents the rawhide from marking or scratching itself during the soaking and stretching process.

Step 3: Entering the Water

Soaking is about preservation. It is essential to use a clean vessel that is entirely free of soap residue, as we want to preserve the natural oils within the skin.

  • The Vessel: In the summer, I love using a galvanized wash tub filled with fresh rainwater. In the winter, I move to the laundry tub and use distilled water.
  • The Anchor: When the hide first enters the room-temperature water, it often wants to float. To keep it fully submerged, I weigh it down with rocks—specifically geodes and quartz. I can’t explain the science behind it; it simply feels right to anchor the animal skin with the bones of the earth.

Step 4: The Patient Wait

The rawhide needs time to remember its suppleness. I typically leave it to soak for 24 hours, though thicker hides like moose may need a little longer.

How do you know it’s ready? You will feel a change in the texture. The rawhide will feel thick in your hands and the color will transition into a soft, opaque white.

Join us tomorrow for Day 19 (December 27, 2025). We will lift the rawhide from its bath and begin the powerful work of stretching it over our White Oak frame.

Read more about my art and contact information at Love Art By Po and the many drums I make.


To contact me directly, please use this email:

📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

One response to “Drum December Day 18 – How to Soak Deer Rawhide Before Stringing the Drum”

  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 18: Soaking Deer Rawhide […]

    Reply

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

Find Portia “Po” Chapman Kingston Art Studio on Google Maps
Behind the Art, Behind the scenes, Drum December, Drum Works, How Po Makes Hand Drums, Kingston Artist, Po's Drum Making Process, Portia Chapman, woodworking

Drum December Day 4 | Finding the Nerve to Bend

Portia "Po" Chapman
Po and her assistant sharing a moment of nervous laughter while preparing to bend sun-steamed white oak for a drum frame during Drum December Day 4 at Po’s Kingston Art Studio.
Po and her assistant share a moment of nervous laughter.

Today, Po takes the next brave step in her sun-steaming white oak experiment — the moment when softened hardwood meets human hands for its very first bend. And this time, the studio was full of laughter, nerves, and a little bit of chaos.

Preparing for the First Bend

After three days of solar steaming and fibre relaxation, the white oak was finally ready to move toward its circular drum shape. But white oak is known for being stubborn — unlike red oak or cherry, which tend to cooperate more easily. This was Po’s very first time attempting to bend white oak, and the air carried that charged mix of excitement and hesitation.

Because the frame pieces were long, Po called in an assistant during this stage. Today, she chose DAD.

Before the camera was rolling, Po looked at her assistant with a theatrical seriousness and joked:

“If it breaks, you can be the one to blame!
I don’t want to be the one who snaps it.”

That set the tone.
The wood was ready.
We… were getting there.

The Moment Before the Bend

As her assistant stood there, holding one end of the hot, hopefully flexible, board trying to work up the courage for the first bend, Po stepped beside her trusty assistant to offer support — and then they immediately broke into laughter. She tucked herself halfway behind his arm, peeking out like someone about to watch a suspenseful scene in a movie.

The cameraperson had already begun losing patience with how long it was taking and insisted that they stop laughing and get serious. She wanted to get the shot. Then she started laughing.

This is the real life of drum frame bending at Po’s Kingston Art Studio — part process, part comedy, all family, ALL ART. Drum making is a beautiful, love-filled-art, and this short video illustrates the joy that cheers out with exuberance of Love Art By Po.

Nervous Laughter, Real Art

In today’s short video, you can witness the exact moment when nervous laughter gives way to determination. Po, her assistant and cameraperson take their positions, breathe through the tension, and finally begin the first coaxing bend of the white oak.

It’s only a small curve — a gentle start — but it marks the beginning of the transformation, from plank to drum. And as simple as it looks, this step matters: the first bend dictates how the wood will behave when the full circular frame is shaped and clamped.

A Family Moment in the Making of a Drum

What the video doesn’t capture — but what filled the studio — is the feeling of teamwork.
Making drums in this space has always been infused with love, humour, and family togetherness. Today was no exception.

Drum-making is not simply about shaping wood at Love Art By Po;
it’s about beautiful, shaping moments — that make everyone stronger.

Making drums has taught Po an incredible life lesson – a circle of wood is like a circle of loved-ones, when you push on them – they get stronger as they find their harmonious tune.

Join us again for Day 5, where Po continues shaping the wood — and the shared moments — that make every drum a circle of strength and love.

Watch Video Short on YouTube
📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

One response to “Drum December Day 4 | Finding the Nerve to Bend”

  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 4: Finding the Nerve to Bend […]

    Reply

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




Behind the scenes, Drum December, Drum Works, Kingston Artist, Po's Drum Making Process, Portia Chapman, Sustainable Craft, woodworking

Drum December Day 2: Po’s Sun-Steaming Method Begins

Portia "Po" Chapman
Po Chapman lying in the sun wearing yellow sunglasses and a green shirt, beginning Day 2 of her sun-steaming drum-making process.
Day 2: Po begins her sun-steaming process for crafting hardwood drum frames.

Welcome to Day 2 of Drum December!

Today, Po begins the very first step in her innovative sun-steaming method — a sustainable process she personally developed to prepare kiln-dried hardwood for her premium drum frames and exposed stretchers.

Sun-steaming is a technique that Po pioneered to reduce the environmental impact of traditional wood steaming. Instead of soaking the kiln-dried wood for two days and then heating it with electricity, Po slides the carefully milled hardwood into a long black tube with ridges along its interior.

The ridges guide the wood as it slides in, producing a distinctive sound — the beginning of the transformation.

Once the hardwood is inside the tube, Po fills it with water and lets the sun do all the work. For three full days, the water naturally heats within the sealed tube, allowing the wood fibres to relax and prepare for bending.

An Energy-Conscious Method for Steaming the Wood:

  • Removes the two-day soaking stage
  • Uses no electricity
  • Reduces water consumption
  • Produces a more responsive bend
  • Creates the smooth, elite-quality curves Po’s drum frames are known for

This is where Po’s craftsmanship begins — with innovation, patience, and the sun itself.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue documenting this process as Drum December unfolds, one beautifully authentic step at a time.

Tomorrow, Po continues the transformation as she assesses the wood to see whether it has relaxed enough to become bendy and ready for shaping.

Stay tuned for Day 3!

📧 Portia@loveartbypo.ca

One response to “Drum December Day 2: Po’s Sun-Steaming Method Begins”

  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 2: Sun-Steaming Hardwood Begins […]

    Reply

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

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

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