Buffy, Sea Turtle tribute to Buffy Sainte Marie 2026
I have had many turtle encounters in my life, very powerful ones. I came across two massive turtles last spring and was once again full of appreciation for this amazing relative of ours that speaks of patience, tenacity and self sufficiency. I find myself collecting stones when I go on walks, in my hands or in my pockets, on windowsills when I get them home or as anchors in my garden. I live on turtle Island, I have lived in many places on this island and know that i will be calmed and inspired by the the tales of turtle and its quiet amazing way in our world. When I lived in the Beaver Valley I left a big section of my land open for the turtle (70cm long) that would come yearly to lay her eggs in my front garden which was very close to a pond. The glass droplets I have been collecting and embedding here are a good way to reference water and tears, ripples of meaning and interconnection, ripples of rhythm, ripples of time, like the 300 years of paper that still sing the song of solace through music, animals and art.
I have a deep love and respect for Buffy Sainte Marie. She is a powerful voice for truth and acknowledgement. The journey to healing the terrible scars created by colonialism and greed is long and arduous, we must continue forward in this work and in this dream of uniting using truth and song to heal our hearts and give us the courage to speak out against oppression and cruelty (to each other, the water, the earth and all the living organisms that share our planet).
My paper works using antique sheet music seek to celebrate and repurpose the best and worst quality music from my great paper era collection of music which spans close to 300 years (1723-1972). My creative endeavours have focused on creating and celebrating language with a particular focus on universal languages, languages of healing and wellbeing. As a multi lingual and multi cultural person music was (and still is) a most tangible link to culture for me. I grew up moving every two years and although we were posted far (Germany, Gimli, Boston, the Gatineau hills etc) and wide, my parents, an Irish mother from the north of Ireland and a French Canadian military man with proud Métis heritage, made sure we were given strong links to our mixed heritage. I also use it because the wealth of printed music from the last several centuries has become obsolete for the most part. It was collected and shared with great care and love, from one generation to another, as such the quality of the paper was essential to its longevity. The greatest paper made over the centuries was made for music, which was to pass from hand to hand to hand. I have collected it since childhood, have a great love for it and have always yearned to use it in my work as an artist and artisan. A few years ago I stood at the threshold of moving from a production based life with my natural works- my twig letters- which focus on the universal healing language of nature and the nature of languages, to one of larger sculptural pieces. It would allow me to delve deeper into the dialogue of healing through artistic practice, and provide me with new challenges of materials explorations and subject matter. I began with a buffalo, a guide to protect me in my journey using a paper mâché technique though this was to be made of music paper that I cared for (and others had too) a great deal. It was very important for me to honour every aspect of each piece of music I used for this work. As such, the inventory of paper composition from different eras (linen, cotton, even “mummy paper” from the 1840’s), margins, print size, decorative whimsy and graphic patterns became components of my palette used to create and adorn my sculptures.
I am a survivor living with PTSD, my art practice and this sculpture are ways for me to navigate complicated waters with love, respect for all people and hope for healing, honouring the great love I have for music, water, the land I have the privilege to live on and turtles in my every atom.
I have had many turtle encounters in my life, very powerful ones. I came across two massive turtles last spring and was once again full of appreciation for this amazing relative of ours that speaks of patience, tenacity and self sufficiency. I find myself collecting stones when I go on walks, in my hands or in my pockets, on windowsills when I get them home or as anchors in my garden. I live on turtle Island, I have lived in many places on this island and know that i will be calmed and inspired by the the tales of turtle and its quiet amazing way in our world. When I lived in the Beaver Valley I left a big section of my land open for the turtle (70cm long) that would come yearly to lay her eggs in my front garden which was very close to a pond. The glass droplets I have been collecting and embedding here are a good way to reference water and tears, ripples of meaning and interconnection, ripples of rhythm, ripples of time, like the 300 years of paper that still sing the song of solace through music, animals and art.
I have a deep love and respect for Buffy Sainte Marie. She is a powerful voice for truth and acknowledgement. The journey to healing the terrible scars created by colonialism and greed is long and arduous, we must continue forward in this work and in this dream of uniting using truth and song to heal our hearts and give us the courage to speak out against oppression and cruelty (to each other, the water, the earth and all the living organisms that share our planet).
My paper works using antique sheet music seek to celebrate and repurpose the best and worst quality music from my great paper era collection of music which spans close to 300 years (1723-1972). My creative endeavours have focused on creating and celebrating language with a particular focus on universal languages, languages of healing and wellbeing. As a multi lingual and multi cultural person music was (and still is) a most tangible link to culture for me. I grew up moving every two years and although we were posted far (Germany, Gimli, Boston, the Gatineau hills etc) and wide, my parents, an Irish mother from the north of Ireland and a French Canadian military man with proud Métis heritage, made sure we were given strong links to our mixed heritage. I also use it because the wealth of printed music from the last several centuries has become obsolete for the most part. It was collected and shared with great care and love, from one generation to another, as such the quality of the paper was essential to its longevity. The greatest paper made over the centuries was made for music, which was to pass from hand to hand to hand. I have collected it since childhood, have a great love for it and have always yearned to use it in my work as an artist and artisan. A few years ago I stood at the threshold of moving from a production based life with my natural works- my twig letters- which focus on the universal healing language of nature and the nature of languages, to one of larger sculptural pieces. It would allow me to delve deeper into the dialogue of healing through artistic practice, and provide me with new challenges of materials explorations and subject matter. I began with a buffalo, a guide to protect me in my journey using a paper mâché technique though this was to be made of music paper that I cared for (and others had too) a great deal. It was very important for me to honour every aspect of each piece of music I used for this work. As such, the inventory of paper composition from different eras (linen, cotton, even “mummy paper” from the 1840’s), margins, print size, decorative whimsy and graphic patterns became components of my palette used to create and adorn my sculptures.
I am a survivor living with PTSD, my art practice and this sculpture are ways for me to navigate complicated waters with love, respect for all people and hope for healing, honouring the great love I have for music, water, the land I have the privilege to live on and turtles in my every atom.