I worked a little today on the red earth I collected around McGinnis Lake near Peterborough. Nothing fancy; just a simple wash (to get rid of the roots, etc.), and a basic decanting to get some sense of the colour.
There’s something here that’s especially interesting to me: The idea that this dirt comes from a landscape considered sacred by the Algonquian shamans. Even though I know I’m influenced by democratic ideas of equality and I love the poetic utterances of the Psalms (such as, “how wonderful is thy name in all the world” where God’s name is linked to his voice echoing and sustaining what he spoke into existence) the reality of some places being especially holy is something I also affirm. Working with my bucket of brightly coloured earth today, my thoughts kept returning to this paradox.
Anyway, it’s fun to play with dirt and get one’s hands dirty.