My recent work includes two large sculptural pieces in soapstone, landscapes of sites of dispossession and colonization, and landscapes of “Poorman’s Pond” behind my house on the Kawacatoose First Nation.
My sculptural practice is contemporary: directly into the stone without a maquette.
“Fatherhood”
The pieces “Fatherhood” and “Ondine” are in progress. With some support from the Canada Council for the Arts, I purchased two large pieces of soapstone suitable for statuary.
Once the stone for ‘Fathehood’ was roughed out in the studio I found a large intrusion of mica which had to be removed. The negative space left indicated the gesture and dimensions of the figures.
The stone for Ondine, by contrast, was nearly flawless soapstone.
“Ondine”
Both Lost Lagoon in Vancouver's Stanley Park, and the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Edmonton were inhabited by Indigenous People for more than 10,000 years. There are no more canoes floating on the water. There are no more indigenous People finding their dinner from the shore. Their dispossession has been met with a shrug, and the Indian Act.
2023. 18" x 14" oil on canvas. En plein air, alla prima.
2023. Approx. 12" x 15" oil on panel. En plein air, alla prima.
2026. 49" x 22.5" oil on panel.