LANGNESHOLMEN, ALTA FJORD, SEEN FROM TOFTEN. acrylic and shell sand from the causeway to the island on card. 20x15cm
The island of Langnesholmen depicted in the painting above and accessible at low tide, had rock drawings (c 6200 years old) on some of its scattered boulders. These would have been just above water level when they were made. Looking closely one could see the individual percussion marks where a hard point had chipped away a tiny bit of rock. There were no explanations or please do not touch signs anywhere. I made a rubbing of one of the drawings with birch leaves and felt myself very close to the maker. My host was taught to use birch leaves as a child.
 The rocks become populated by lichen and mosses if uncleaned. |  |
The reddish brown ocre paint in the drawing below was added because it was thought these drawings would have been painted originally. It has now been discovered that this was not the case and that the paint might damage the drawings. They are gradually being cleaned.The drawings would have been made close to the water level and the red surface of the rocks when drawn into would have produced a light line in contrast to the outer rock. The rock is slightly re crystalised grey- green sandstone and is fine grained and hard with a high quartz content. The carvings were made (by a person who held the status of leader of rituals- a shaman or head of the family) using a hard stone as a chisel and an antler or stone as a hammer. Chisel marks can be seen in the uncoloured carvings. Looking closely at the placing on the rock it was clear that the artists made use of natural crevices and strata in the rocks suggesting water and the Northern Lights. I drew the reindeer (below) using a powerful pair of binoculars to get a good look at the lone animal on the island. The beast had evaded the annual herding by the Sami who take them to higher grazing for the winter around early September.
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