Before the snows come, I’ve decided that I want to get out for a least a couple days of rock hounding. The connection with the earth is so important within my art that, as much as I love my studio, I need to head out up to the Canadian Shield and into the bush to dig.
The first place on my list was Eldorado. I’ve been here before, and it is a place with a great history and all the kinds of ochre rocks that I love to find. An afternoon here, just digging a hole, is pure enjoyment for me.
On the way back to the motel, we also stopped along the side of the highway where some blasting had been done for the road. Here I was happily surprised to find some Terra Verte (glauconite rich ochre). The vein was an especially rich colour, and I filled a small bag with it for further use.
The Canadian landscape is somehow iconic of my notions of nationality and place. The rocks and trees and birds here represent everything I think of as home …
