Martha Aucoin presents 'The Art of Scrimshaw,' a hands-on look at a historic maritime craft

TILTON — Martha Aucoin, a Laconia artist with family roots in Nova Scotia and shipbuilding, will share the history and techniques of scrimshaw in an Art Talk titled, “The Art of Scrimshaw," on Monday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m., at the Lakes Region Art Gallery at Tanger Tilton. 

Guests will hear how the craft of scrimshaw developed and will be invited to try it themselves, scribing a simple ship, flower, or personal memory onto a discarded piano key provided at the presentation.

The speaker first learned scrimshaw while operating a nautical gift shop in Charleston, South Carolina, and went on to work as a scrimshander. Over the years, the work has included ships, homes, flowers, pets, and portraits, engraved on ivory, piano keys, and small ivory pieces. Oil painting is now the primary medium, though tall ships still appear in Aucoin's work.

An early interest in art led to recognition in high school and study at Plymouth State University under Professor Drurup. After years devoted to family, the artist returned to painting, studying with Mount Washington Valley artist Bob Gordon and, more recently, plein air oil painting with Laureen Wondoloski, a member of the Copley Society of Art and the Guild of Boston Artists.

Aucoin is a member of the Mount Washington Valley Arts Association and the Lakes Region Art Association. Work has been exhibited in Tilton and Conway. Landscapes are the main focus, along with animals, homes, and occasional portraits.

For more information, visit lakesregionartgallery.org.