THE ARTIST WITHIN
‘It’s been quite a journey of discovery for me’
Ihave always been artistically inclined, but until relatively recently, I had not actively pursued it. Now, with my career well in hand, my children grown, and some years of life experience under my belt, I am taking advantage of a little free time to explore my passion for art, writing and photography.
My eye for landscapes and natural forms most likely grew out of my love of nature, which developed at an early age. I spent large parts of my teenage years out of doors on adventures—hunting, fishing and trapping—in the beautiful boreal forest of northern Ontario. Likewise, my desire to create and write stories is rooted in those long periods spent in the forest, alone with my vivid imagination.
Some of the exciting projects I have completed in the last few years have been contributing photography to a Haiku poetry book, Haiga Moments; coordinating a Canadian cross-country art project, Artscapes/pays-arts Canada, featuring my landscape photography meshed on canvas with the artwork of talented artists from across our great land.
Through the course of my research of the North-West Coast people for my upcoming novel, Blood Cove, I developed respect and a great appreciation for the First Nation’s culture and art form.
The Northwest Haida people, like many other
First Nations people, suffered disease, political injustices and abuse from early European explorers, religious organizations and the Canadian government. Our culture is still trying to achieve acceptance of our differences, forgiveness and understanding through reconciliation. I believe that art can help us, in some small way, to develop greater understanding between nations and heal wounds of years past and present.
Once I had finished writing Blood Cove, I had an inexplicable urge to create my own artwork for the cover. The illustration had to be The Raven, the major character in my book, and I wanted it to be rendered in the Northwest Haida style. As an amateur artist with limited graphic talent, the task was not easy. Enthusiasm and patience I have in abundance, however, and so painstaking hours of practice and study went into my humble results.
The main characteristics of two-dimensional Haida art are symmetry, balance, unity and tension within the design. I studied ideas, forms and materials from past artists, and when I was satisfied with my design, I turned to a friend who does computer graphics to produce the final refined version.
The highly stylized and abstracted Haida designs that we see today have evolved over thousands of years from crude pictographs on rocks. The mythology of the First Nations people links humans, animals, spirits and supernatural figures through symbols. Artists often merge them to create interesting beings with human faces within the body of animals, such as whales, bears and wolves.
I hope that my upcoming novel and illustrations arouse curiosity and enthusiasm in people, and perhaps inspire them to research the rich and fascinating art form, mythology and culture of the great Northwest Coast people, who so intrigue and captivate me. n