I’D TRAVELLED A GREAT DEAL IN THE WORLD BEFORE I ACKNOWLEDGED HOW MUCH I’D SHORT-CHANGED MY OWN COUNTRY, AND MYSELF EVEN MORE, BY MY IGNORANCE OF IT.
TRUE, I’D TOURED COAST TO COAST WITH THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL COMPANY DURING EXPO YEAR, AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE FOR THIS MONTREAL GIRL , WHO’D NEVER BEEN OUTSIDE QUEBEC AND ONTARIO, TO EXPERIENCE THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF HER COUNTRY IN ONE FELL SWOOP. BUT BEING GYPSY PLAYERS, THE LENGTH OF OUR STAY IN EACH PLACE WAS ALWAYS – OF NECESSITY - BRIEF. STILL; I SAW ENOUGH TO MAKE ME KNOW THAT SOMEDAY I WOULD RETURN TO WINNIPEG AND CALGARY, AND ST. JOHN’S, AND VANCOUVER AND VICTORIA….
THE ONE PLACE I’D NEVER CONSIDERED VISITING (THE STRATFORD CCOMPANY NOT HAVING VISITED SKIDIGATE DURING ITS TOUR) WAS HAIDA GWAII; OR , AS I FIRST KNEW IT, THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS. (SILLY ME; I’D THOUGHT THAT THE GULF ISLANDS WERE AS FAR WEST AS YOU COULD GO AND STILL BE IN CANADA)… NONETHELESS, THE MOMENT I HEARD OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A SAILING TRIP AMONG THE SOUTHERN ISLANDS, I KNEW THIS WAS A TRIP I HAD TO MAKE. AND WAS IT EVERYTHING I’D HOPED FOR AND MORE? OH, YES! HAIDA GWAII IS ON A PAR WITH NEWFOUNDLAND IN MY PRIVATE RATING OF PLACES I‘VE BEEN; BOTH AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
I’M A WATER SIGN; CANCER;.SO I FEEL GOOD WHEN I’M CLOSE TO WATER; WHEN I CAN LOOK AT IT; HEAR IT; WALK OR MEDITATE BESIDE IT…. THAT SAID, I’M NOT A GOOD SAILOR (EUPHEMISM FOR GETTING SICK AS A DOG ON ROUGH SEAS…) SO IT WAS DARNED LUCKY THAT WE ENJOYED A WEEK OF PERFECT WEATHER; CALM SEAS ; SUNSHINE, AND UNFAILING BLUE SKIES. I LOVED THE WAY THE ISLANDS THAT ARE OF SPIRITUAL IMPORTANCE ARE SAFE-GUARDED BY THE WATCHMEN (WHO ARE SOMETIMES ACTUALLY WOMEN), AND THAT ACCESS IS STRICTLY LIMITED TO ONE SMALL PARTY AT A TIME. I’VE VISITED OTHER OF THE WORLD’S MAGNIFICENT HERITAGE SPOTS, AND KNOW THAT – FOR SOME - THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED. THERE IS NO WAY TO WITHSTAND THE PRESENCE OF THE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF BOOTS THAT NOW TREAD THEM. THANKS TO HER PEOPLE, THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN TO HAIDA GWAII …
WHEN WENDY WACKO INVITED ME TO DO A SHOW AT MOUNTAIN GALLERIES, I WAS PLEASED AND FLATTERED, BUT TO SAY I HAD A PLAN WHEN I FIRST BEGAN THINKING ABOUT THIS COLLECTION WOULD BE A TOTAL LIE. LUCKILY - AFTER A LIFETIME IN THE ARTS - I’VE LEARNED TO TRUST MY INSTINCTS, AND TO ALLOW THINGS TO HAPPEN; RATHER THAN IMPOSING THE FRUIT OF MY CONSCIOUS MIND ON THE UNCONSCIOUS; WHICH CREATES MUCH BETTER PICTURES.
I HOPE PEOPLE WILL ENJOY THE WORK. IT HAS BEEN DONE IN A SPIRIT OF ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR AN AMAZING CULTURE, AND A GRACIOUS AND HOSPITABLE PEOPLE.
