 Anchor/Cradle When an anchor doesn't do its job, it may take on another. Sometimes you can expect things from, and be disappointed by the people closest to you, neglecting to acknowledge the gifts they have offered you. Conversely you may perceive that you have nothing to offer, failing to recognize what you have already given.  Anchor/Cradle is a sculpture that I completed in March. It was possibly the most enjoyable piece that I made all year; somehow I was able to complete each step without deciding what the next step would be. So, the process was very contemplative and relaxing. The fabric began as yardage printed with family lines. I then tore it in one continuous strip and bundled it. I contemplated leaving it as a bundle since I loved it so much. I also considered creating a large rosary with the fabric strips but wasn't super happy with the result. So the remainder of the bundle was woven into my welded anchor/cradle structure, with the rosary knots left to hang from the finished sculpture. The metal structure manifested itself in a matter of days. Since I had scrap metal in my locker from a previous project it came together quickly (thank you Concordia for having an amazing welding studio!).
In making this piece I learned that I do not need to know what will happen next in the creative process; to let go of control. Somehow the materials always seem know what to do. The sculpture is about 68 inches wide, 23 inches deep and 23 inches high, not including the neck
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Suzie in the old town with a backpack full of hot tea and bannock
On my last evening in Ulukhaktok Suzie and Julia took me to the old town where they all used to live before the community needed more space. Every once and a while I'd turn my back to the wind to keep my face from freezing off. But I stuck to the plan, braved the cold and we had a tea party in a blizzard. The next morning they told me that they thought that maybe I was turning around in longing for my warm home. hehe. 
The women and I wearing some of our creations on my last day.
This is us (less Cora and Diane) right before I left for my flight on the last day. I'm wearing my atikaluk (a-tee-ka-look), a gift Mary made me, and the quiviuk hat the ladies made me on the knitting machine. Some of the ladies in the picture are wearing the hats I made them for the awards ceremony we had had the day before. Ada (far left) was the program coordinator. She often picked me up in the mornings and took me to work on her snow mobile. Even though it was only two blocks away, I was very thankful, especially on cold windy mornings. Sometimes it was as cold as -45 with the wind chill, and you could find people crawling through the blizzard to get to their homes. 
I had to pose with this amazing polar bear head purse. Only in the Arctic!
This picture is of me wearing a polar bear head purse in an Inuvik art store, it has the actual bear nose partially still intact. Can you believe it? This is a rare find even in the Arctic. Although I didn't see any polar bears while I was there, a grolar bear (polar grizzly hybrid) was killed the week before I arrived in Ulukhaktok. It had been going through abandoned houses and was destroying things, so it was definitely a threat to the community. Read about it here and here. Below is a pic of that very grolar bear (taxidermed), in the Ulukhaktok Community Center. 
The grolar bear that had been rummaging through abandoned houses the week before I arrived.
 When I instructed Mable to knit 110 rows she stood up, took a firm grasp on the knitting machine carriage and went at it.READ MORE
  It's already been three weeks since I left Ulukhaktok! Now that I'm all settled into vacation mode and I've had a chance to think about what I just did, I'm really proud of myself and so thankful to the wonderful people who made this opportunity happen for me. Also I'm missing my students badly! I gained eleven grandmas and aunts in Ulu, and it's sad to realize that I won't be seeing them again any time soon. READ MORE
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About me:
I'm a west coast Canadian gal who after completing a BFA in Fibres at Concordia University in Montreal moved to the New York metropolitan area where I am pursuing my art practice while learning the ropes of motherhood.
June 2021
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