Dr Jules Findley was artist in residence in Saskatoon, Territory 6, Canada, selected by Linda Duvall – a Saskatoon, Canadian based visual artist www.lindaduvall.ca, together with David LaRiviere – Artistic Director of PAVED Arts, Saskatoon, Felicia Gay – Curator, Wanuskewin Heritage Park and Monique Blom a Saskatchewan-based performance artist.
The ‘In a Hole’ Residency was based on a remote farm just outside Saskatoon, Territory 6, Canada. I spent between 12.00 – 18.00 with Linda Duvall down a six foot dug out hole for two days. The soil was very brown and sandy. The surrounding fields were un-toiled and in the old days the land would have been home to the native Inuit tribes, who were nomadic. In the mornings, I would walk down to the lake on my own, which was wide, fast flowing water that flowed towards Saskatoon. It was a wonderful experience. ‘In a Hole’ we discussed bereavement and maternal loss. I made an artists response to the hole using drawing, soil, and elements such as ash mixed with soil and paint. The result was streamed to ‘PAVED’ Arts, Gallery in Saskatoon.
Below are some of the sketchbook drawings I made ‘In a Hole’ with Linda Duvall, where elements such as soil, ash from the evening fire, were used to give meaning to the painted drawings.
