I doubt if the previous camper at the site knew that she’d been collaborating on an art project with me … Last week my family and I headed to Eastern Ontario, in Canada, to explore the area around the village of Warsaw. While there I went on a few pilgrimages, purposefully looking for certain local … Read more
The Dempster Highway in the Yukon is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. As it winds it’s way north, it would have eventually lead all the way to the arctic circle (although I never quite got that far). The landscape changed with every rounded hill or crested mountain. It went from a winter wonderland with every … Read more
It’s hard to believe how much things have changed during my first week in Dawson City. When I arrived last Sunday, the Yukon River was still frozen (in fact I crossed on its ice bridge that very day …) but yesterday it broke up and is now flowing freely. Spring is coming on strong here in … Read more
Last week I had the opportunity to work with a wonderful bunch of people out in Edmonton, Alberta in celebrating, finishing, and perhaps resurrecting Betty Spackman’s Found Wanting exhibition. I was lucky enough to attend the exhibition when it appeared at the Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford, British Columbia in 2011. At that time, the … Read more
Until this year, Prince Edward Island had been one of the few provinces in Canada where I hadn’t yet gone on a local colour pilgrimage — looking for potential earth pigments in a community. The island is famous for its reds, so I was especially excited to take this trip and see the colours for myself. My hotel … Read more
Last week I had the chance to spend a week in the city of Montreal to present a workshop for the annual Canadian Society of Soil Science meeting. I took the opportunity to enjoy the city. Amid reading in some great coffee shops and viewing amazing artwork in the city’s galleries, I also spent a day learning how … Read more
Last week I had a magical experience in San Diego … It involved beautiful people, a red landscape, and ancient tools! It was a joy to meet up again with Dr. Norrie—she is an amazing combination of child-like enthusiasm and deep knowledge! Together we headed back up to the mountains around the La Jolla Reservation. Once again I was … Read more
The annual harvest of our woad patch is something I look forward to every year. While it seems that the weather rarely cooperates (at least it wasn’t snowing, like last year …) I find it magical every time that profoundly deep blue appears.
I doubt very much that when my children’s teachers required them to bring crayons to class that they expected what followed—the creation of the first set of crayons made from Canada’s soils, rocks and plants!
As I wrote about in my previous post, my family and I spent a couple of weeks exploring northern Ontario last month. While the residency at Pukaskwa National Park was a big part of that experience, we also took the opportunity to undertake a number of local colour pilgrimages along the way. What surprised me … Read more