Carried Away By Cave Songs

As the U.S. braces for another hurricane, the Canadian federal government faces a national class-action lawsuit launched by a remote northern Manitoba First Nation in 2022. Their defense? "Canada has no legal obligation to provide First Nations with clean water."

Water features a lot in my work.  You could say it's a theme. But, it is born out of a deep and profound understanding that now - more than ever before - we must come to terms with the fact that water is sacred. Without water - there is no life.

I’m hoping you’ll join in prayer/affirmation or positive energy sending that the waters and the wind are gentle.

Here in Pittsburgh, everyone is wondering if it's time to turn the heat on yet. As temperatures drop and people begin to settle in, it's a perfect moment to open ourselves to the ancestral wisdom that surrounds us. With that in mind, I’d like to share a little background on two designs I recently added to "Mmmm, Yes!"

Carried Away & Cave Songs

I began the designs for Cave Songs and Carried Away long before I did two things: discovered the secret Christina archives and visited the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways. Both experiences informed the completion of these designs.

For me, so much of my current artwork seeks to return to the aggressive freedom in my early work.  In my paintings, I honed a liberated stroke using my whole body.  In my drawing, I sought to make my lines less tentative and uniform.  

Recently, while packing up my parents' house—my father passed four years ago, and it's time for my mother to downsize—I uncovered drawers of memorabilia documenting my career as an artist.  It’s amazing to see how much I’ve grown.  But, with that comes a certain ambivalent dismay. After 30 years, I’m still compelled to explore  the same themes and images. 

I’ve always been  an avid fan of both history and  archeology.  I spend a lot of time looking at dig sites and reading archival material.  I also spend a lot of time in communion with my ancestors.  The more I sit, the farther back along my family line I try to go. I probably spend way too much time imagining what life was like 300 years ago, 600 years ago, 3,000 years ago. 

In these two designs you’ll notice my fascination with the rich duality inherent in petroglyphs. They seem so simple and yet, are terrifically complex. To our streamlined, digital eyes, they may seem crude or rough.  They lack “finesse.”  However, this is the very element which makes them so powerful.  Neither rough nor crude, they were created with meticulous intent. One can almost feel the devoted earnestness with which they are made. 

More importantly, their non-pecuniary nature enlivens these works.  Some might say they are “art for art’s sake.”  Others surmise that they serve a spiritual purpose.  My visit to the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways was humbling and affirming. These markings in and on stone are powerful & tell vital stories to the people who care to dive into knowing. The opening of the exhibit hall begins with petroglyphs and their meaning to the Anishinabe - past, present & future.  

As I reflect on my journey, I’m reminded that art, like water, sustains us. Whether it’s the storms we face collectively or the personal transitions we navigate alone, art has the power to guide us, ground us, and carry us forward. My hope is that these designs offer a space for you to connect with that same sense of timelessness and purpose. We must continue to honor the stories of those who came before, and in doing so, we ensure that our own stories flow into the future, carried by the same sacred waters.

Check out Carried Away

Check Out Cave Songs