Trickster Delta: The Trickster is Eric's first new kite since since his horrendous car accident in 1999. Anne had the concept and preliminary drawings worked out before, but then everything was put on hold. The first versions were tested and then refined in 2002. The traditinal design features black, purple, and orange dyes on ucnoated white nylon fabric. (This allows better dye uptake and stronger colours). The frame is spiral-wound epoxy tubing. Trickster is also offered in a black, red, orange colour combination.

Available in just one size: Large - 11 x 11 feet - $345

Available in two sizes: Medium - 93 x 93 inches - $167 Large - 11 x 11 feet - $345

Celtic Variations Delta: This quilt-like design gave Anne a chance to utilize Celtic patterns including all the interlacings and elaborate detail. The knotwork design is interesting close-up, but also merges into larger geometric patterns when seen flying from a distance. The kite is a wonderful flier and the twin swallowtails provide both stability and visual interest. The design is screen-printed by hand with acid dyes in two colors, black and red, on a white background. The Celtic Variations Delta is produced in a limited series of 100 pieces.

Celestial Gardens Delta: This wonderful delta is produced by combining printed triangular sections (like quilt blocks) into a number of different sizes. Subtle differences appear in the overall pattern between the small, medium, and larger kites. The design style features hummingbirds, Iris blossoms, and other spring images from Eric and Anne's garden on the shore of Lake Erie. The design is screen-printed by hand with acid dyes in two colors, black and purple, on a white background. The color scheme was inspired by Amish quilts, and the hexagons result from playing with home-made kaleidoscopes. The Celestial Gardens Delta is a wonderful soaring kite which is light on the line and very stable. Production will be limited to 100 pieces.

Available in two sizes: Medium - 93 x 93 inches - $167 Large - 11 x 11 feet - $345

One Size - 7.5 x 6 feet - $600 Only 15 pieces available. Made to order - custom colors.

Bridgid's Shield Rokkaku: Brigid's Shield is a full size rok, 7.5 feet tall by 6 feet wide and ideal for an artistic wall display, or a show in the sky. The striking design combines screen-printing the black artwork and then hand-painting the characters for a dramatic and unique effect. The hand-painting is extremely time consuming. For that reason, each kite is crafted-to-order. Only fifteen pieces are planned in the series, and you may request personalized colors. Like any well-crafted large rokkaku, Brigid's Shield flies well in a variety of conditions.

LoonDance Rokkaku: The LoonDance is a medium size, five by four foot, rokkaku. The selling price is less than half the price of Boreal's larger roks, mostly because of the production technique which involves no hand painting. The medium size makes the kite more maneuverable and easier for one person to fly. The design is a synthesis of Celtic knotwork and North American native art featuring the Common Loon and Northern Pike fish. The kite is printed using a bleed or split-tray technique which produces black, yellow, red, and purple on the white background. LoonDance is produced in a limited series of 100 pieces.

One Size - 5 x 4 feet - $225

Dieppe Mermaids Genki: This big Genki is a fabulous soaring kite that will fly in as little as two m.p.h. without the tails. The aquatic design was developed for the International Kite Festival in Dieppe, whose theme for 1994 was "Seas and Ocean". Production of Mermaids involves both printing the design, and forty to fifty hours of hand-painting. Each kite is crafted-to-order. Only fifteen pieces are planned in the series, and you may request personalized colors. The detailing is the most ambitious done by Boreal, which makes it both their most expensive, and most spectacular kite. One Size - 12 x 4 feet - 24 foot tails - $875 Only 15 pieces available. Made to order - custom colors.

More About Eric, Anne, and the Kites: Boreal (bor e al): 1) adj. Of or pertaining to the north; 2) of, or pertaining to the north wind; 3) noun, a gentle wind from the north. (Oxford English Dictionary) Boreal Kites is the trade named used by Anne Sloboda and Eric Curtis for their hand-painted and silk-screened kites. The Boreal studio is located in a turn-of-the-century schoolhouse on the north shore of Lake Erie in Ontario, Canada. Eric and Anne's kite travels have taken them to India, France, England, Italy, and across North America. Each of the designs featured here is an award winner from a major competition. All Boreal kites are single-liners, produced by screen-printing or hand-painting acid dyes onto ripstop nylon, steam-setting the dyes, and then cutting and sewing the fabric. This is a tiny niche of both textile printing and kiting which makes the Boreal artistic line uniquely collectible as well as eminently flyable. Materials used are 3/4 ounce Bainbridge Stabilkote 4, custom made for Boreal without resin coating (which allows better dye uptake and stronger colors). Frames are spiral-wound epoxy tubing. Unless otherwise noted, all kites are produced in a limited run of 100 pieces.

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