Namonia's Vision 1996

Napachi Pootoogook (1938-2002)

Lithograph

 

 

If I could only take one piece home from the Inuit exhibit it would have been this one.

 

 

Door Number One, Side One:

Door Number One, Side One:

As I am preparing the door that I received from Habitat for Humanity, I have been reflecting on the door’s history. I have been wondering what type of room did the door provide an entrance and exit to. I also have been wondering who used it and if the door could speak what secretes does it keep. When I started to sand down the old varnish to bring new life to the old door, I slowly recognized my own path. I went through a variety of ideas of how I could possibly present the front of the door, which relates to not really belonging to any particular community. After sometime, I came to the conclusion after much brainstorming and discussion with my wife, that I would paint myself in a desert taking a journey in search of belonging, acceptance and love. My desert experience depicted in this painting was when I was twenty-one and depressed. I had just moved across Canada to a place called Medicine Hat, Alberta that was 3000 miles away from home in search of self.

October 12

Greetings from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I am here with MAE student Jayson Luce to present on the work we ( as in Visual Studies) is doing with the 25 million dollar Promise Neighborhood grant in Lubbock. Long way to talk about an after school project for under served kids in Middle school.  It is what each of us do every day. And in fact I end the presentation talking about our program and how our classes celebrate collaborative efforts (glass, clay ...loading a kiln), the fresco) and how you all go on to do wonderful things beyond what I could have ever dreamed...Liz and Ana at the 10K run silkscreen event. So in a way all of you will be a part of this conference.

This is part of my research, trying to find other like minded folks that understand what we do . Or find sort of like minded that might challenge me to re-think how I do what I do.  I did bring some sewing but have not begun yet. Still getting use to this conference of 500 where I know 3 people.

For next week, much like Martha's response to my question on her first clay doll, or Germaine's response from his Uncle...tell me more about how your research is influencing your art/ your writing. If you are like Lynn, a person of multi-layers that somehow operate all at once  still give me a reason why you are following one path. Here is an example: this conference has me asking why do we try so hard to understand cultures from around the world by no the culture in our back yard or our neighborhoods? Why is what we accept as home is often overlooked. What do we know about our communities?

Here is a picture of the jig I made to hold the signatures. The jig is used to compress the signatures (after gluing) and hammer them into a half round configuration before gluing them into the covers.

Three hand made books

My first three hand made books. The little red one I did on my own after the class.

October 5

When I was a child I had rheumatic fever and was hospitalized for 3 months and could not walk for 6 months. In graduate school my first attempt at silk screening ended with my tearing my silk while cleaning out the first color, thus causing me to totally begin again. I mention these two facts because they are my reminders that change/healing/learning take time. Real time not just thinking time but long boring never ending time.  As I read your posts and reactions to each other or I miss your posts and reactions I know that you are each working at fast as you can, absorbing the information gained from reading or events  and that you will share when you can. This is not an excuse to stop posting but an reason to post. I want to know what the stumbling blocks are , what is haunting you, where are you stuck. It is all good. Really. 
Last week I had to have my knee drained and then injected with cortisone. A very painful reminder that I was doing too much, going too fast...not allowing my body to accept the requirements of time.

For this week I am asking each of you to play devils advocate when reading or researching. Challenge the  facts, compare the facts presented  to your experiences, your history. Believe in your stories.

Finished woman sculpture