SCRIMSHAW ARTIST

View all Heidi Robichaud scrimshaw pieces

This artist has been creating scrimshaw since 1981. Heidi’s love of art spans from her childhood passion for drawing horses and princesses to her current portraits of wildlife and indigenous peoples. Although the artist has had no formal training or schooling in art, years of practice, study and experimentation have honed her style.

Heidi moved to Alaska in 1979, where she fell in love with the land, the wildlife and the culture. She has lived in several areas of remote “bush” Alaska as well as the remote community of Gustavus, surrounded by Glacier Bay National Park. before moving to her current residence in Haines, Alaska.

Heidi became familiar with ivory while commercial fishing in Kodiak Alaska in 1980. After purchasing an ancient walrus tusk in a bar, she dedicated herself to finding an artist who could instruct her in the art of scrimshaw. Traveling across the United States in search of ivory art, she discovered the work of Diane Jacobs Thompson. Heidi spent one summer apprenticing with Diane in Seward, Alaska during which she learned the basic techniques and some of the finer aspects of the craft.

Heidi creates jewelry, knives and custom display pieces on ancient walrus and mammoth ivories and North American antler. She is considered by many to be one of the finest modern wildlife and portrait scrimshanders.

In 2008, she finished a two year masterpiece; an extremely rare, unique, and fully scrimshawed mammoth tusk – and soon thereafter sold it to a collector in Haines. She is currently working on another tusk and should be ready to show it off soon!

Heidi raised her two children surrounded by the wilds of Alaska. She has also tried her hand at publishing, among other things, by putting her artistic skills to work in a very unique Alaskan coloring book called ‘Alaska over the Rainbow’. Although out of print, true Heidi fans can still get a copy here. Currently living in Haines, she enjoys gardening, hiking, fishing, kayaking, playing music, traveling and psycho therapy.