Since visiting the land of “The Beautiful River” (Ohio) in February I all but disappeared from cyberspace to do some community outreach. This turned out to be a good antidote to the COVID induced isolation that I, and many others, have experienced.
…and, after escaping across the border to Canada for the summer, I’m now resurfacing in order to get you caught up on these recent events and to introduce you to some newly released artwork!
Water is Life Collage Workshop!
The first of these spring time happenings took place when 7 Directions of Service asked me to put together an art workshop in celebration of Earth Day and the Haw River in Saxapahaw, NC. I decided to focus on collage and name it the “Water is Life Collage Workshop.”
Who’s 7 Directions of Service? It’s a grassroots organization founded by Indigenous activists Crystal Cavalier-Keck and Jason Campos-Keck. They operate out of Orange and Alamance counties (near where I live) on what is actually Crystal’s ancestral Occaneechi-Saponi homeland.
The “Water is Life” movement stems from the 2016 Standing Rock Pipeline protests out in Sioux country, with “Water is life” being a rallying cry for indigenous tribes and environmental groups opposing the pipeline.
The workshop took place at the most amazing venue, Paperhand Puppet Studios in Saxapahaw.
In the photo above, I’m actually sitting in a gigantic wooden puppet’s chair while watching over the workshop! My goal was to inspire students to express their unique relationship to our life support system, The Earth, by having them create a visual love letter to the beloved water bodies in our lives, especially Mother Earth’s veins, as in RIVERS!
Just Upstream
How appropriate! The Paperhand Puppet Studio all but overhangs the Haw River damm in Saxapahaw, NC.
That’s the nose of my red kayak, as I spy on a Great Blue Heron on the banks of the Haw River, just upstream from the damm and the Puppet Studio:
Inside the Paperhand Puppet Studios
…Look at this place! It’s a fabulous environment for an art workshop! Incredible!
It was really a lot of fun witnessing happy participants contently working on their earth creations, and surrounded by giant puppets!
…case in point, we had these giant paper maché heads watching over us the whole time!
“In the Flow”
Happiness is getting into the flow with found images, textures and curved shapes galore!
…and delving into the depths of one’s spirit, creativity and connection to creation!
Super Results
7 Directions of Service directors Crystal Cavalier-Keck and hubby Jason Campos-Keck incorporated some of their favorite “2 leggeds” and “4 leggeds” traditionally seen on the river:
The apparition of a truly mystical Winged River Being !
Water is Life Collage Workshop Photo Gallery
Haw River Photo Gallery
My Teacher’s Demo River Collage
This is one of my “in process” example river collages. I laid it out on the demo table to help get the ideas flowing and to inspire students to express their unique relationship to, you guessed it, the beloved water bodies in their lives, especially RIVERS!
Newly Released Watery Work !
“Linear Elements-Communing”
…is a newly released print of a mixed media collage I did that aligns with the Water is Life! concept. It’s part of a series called “Linear Elements” that I will be unveiling over the next couple of months. Think of it as a self portrait of me communing with the environment while kayaking upriver.
I haven’t fully settled on the name, so if you have any ideas for an appropriate title please let me know!
Medium: mixed media paper collage using photos, photo copies, oil pastel and acrylic.
Print format: available in multiple sizes on fine art paper (including Hahnemuehle 100% rag paper).
This print is part of a limited edition and comes hand signed and with a special chop insignia (it’s in there on the bottom right, if you look hard enough):
That’s all for now. In my next post I’ll be covering our Anti MVP Pipeline Kayak trip!!
“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”
— Jacques Yves Cousteau
