From the Halfbreed Travelling Exhibit

White Raven Woman
2008

I actually finished a new painting...

I'm not going to lie to you, it's been a rough little while. But the fact that I was able to finish a painting tells me that the arrows are beginning to point in the right direction again. Which is a huge relief. I have a couple deadlines that have passed and I've had nothing to show for it. Trust me, that's bad. So, with a fresh breath of air, and the ability to smile really big again, I give you the beginning of my own fresh start:

A New Season
2009

The snows are retreating, the icy wind blows a last time across the land, hair is whipped by the last gasp of winter's chill. The flowers begin to bloom and the long night has been replaced by the eternal day. Mother Earth watches it unfold in serenity and patience, knowing the flow of time is like a river that carves deep into our souls, digging deep channels of habit and forgetfulness if we are not aware of it. But the Old Crow, the Irascible Raven, that black bird who takes many forms, reminds us. He watches with an eye that he hopes seems disinterested but I see right through him. He watches me, you, all of us. Always curious, always wondering, what will these bright shiny things do next? As soon as we fall asleep he is there, beating wings of wind and fury.

"Wake Up!"

"Wake Up!" he cries, throat broken and urgent.

And we do, realizing that as we slept we lost something in the river. For a while we are dazed by our sleep, but when the fog clears we realize that we were dreaming in the wrong place. To dream while aware, that's the true power. Old Bird settles back down to watch again with his fierce eye. And Mother Earth watches softly.


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Love and Fear - a quick thought

I'm an artist. I usually clarify that by saying I'm a painter...mostly. The truth is, I have an avid interest in all forms of art creation to the extent that I believe everything we do can be an art.

When it comes to life, every day is a chance at the new, at adding something inspiring and exciting to our existence. The choice we have is will we add that thing or not? Will we even recognize it?

Or will we tune it out like so many other things?

I'll be honest, there are the rare times I let my emotions run high and there are still things that can give me insecurity. I don't turn away. I face it and try to acknowledge it. I can't change by trying to change, I can only allow the change to come over me as I continue to acknowledge and process. Sounds like a boring practice, I know, but now there are very few things left that can affect my positive and confident outlook. And those things are disappearing.

Pretty neat stuff, hey?

Like everyone else I've experienced loss.

Like everyone else I pick myself back up again.

But it sure can suck sometimes, can't it?

:)

I believe that the inner self is always there. Who we really are is there from the start. We just lose ourselves in the stuff of this world. In fear, insecurity, clothing, drama, selfishness, greed, lack, ingratitude, abuse, jealousy, rage, depression, and on and on. All these negatives are of course interrelated and of course stem from one basic and profound source: intense, never ending, screaming fear.

How do we overcome that?

That's what people have been grappling with for ages. That's what causes people to ask in despair: who am I?

Well, you are you, aren't you?

And who is that?

Never ending, infinite, flowing Love. You are a face of love and that means you realize there is nothing to fear. That fear is an illusion, it actually doesn't really exist except when we bring it into being through our thoughts of loss. But nothing is ever lost or destroyed, only changed.

And we ourselves are unchanging. We only refine and refine in the forge of gratitude and abundance. Our small earth has everything we'll ever need and it is not even a mote in this spinning universe.

Therefore as examples of love we fear no loss. Our light shines ever brighter and stronger the more we give. Money is not the root of all evil. That's like saying the Sun is the cause of all our problems because it can give us a burn. Money without love or wisdom is just another tool of lack and emptiness.

Money with understanding is a river that feeds multitudes.

When we expect the worst, when we expect something bad to happen, we are never surprised when it finally occurs. "I knew this would happen" we say.

And we were right.

But when we expect something good to happen, we are always surprised when it does. "I can't believe it actually happened!" we say.

Something to think about...

Getting Back Into It

I've been slow to update, I know. I've been kept pretty busy working with schools in Edmonton, and building connections and relationships with educators, artists, etc in Fort McMurray and Yellowknife.

I was interviewed last month and here it is: Dante's Heart

Here's the opening excerpt:

Resident in Alberta, Aaron Paquette has carved and shaped his own unique niche in Canadian art, as well as building a lively network of artists and artisans through his blog. One of our editors, Meghan O'Dea, set out to interview him.

Dante's Heart: Aaron, I see from your blog that you enjoy interviewing other artists. What gave you the idea to set up that kind of dialogue? What excites you about interviewing and what have you learned from the artists you interview?

Aaron Paquette: I think a lot of people want to be artists, or already are and need some encouragement. I know I certainly feel that way sometimes! What I like about the interviewing process is that every now and then a nugget of gold will be found in the words, and it can be different for everybody. There's a chance for everyone to walk away with something valuable they can use in their own lives.

In other news, I finished the cover for a Book coming out this fall called "Dreamcatcher" published by Theytus Books in Penticton. As the date approaches I'll post more information.

I'm also done the paintings for my collaboration with poet Andy Michaelson. That book should be ready for next Spring.

Painting has been slow going over the past six months, but I've found my groove again and that's a relief as I'll be having a mini show at Mandolin Books in May (the works will be posted and for sale through the Bearclaw Gallery).

And last but not least, I have a show coming up in June at the Willock and Sax Gallery.

That should be enough updates for now. Here's a painting!

A Decade's Worth

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Press Release
(please distribute)

The Grande Prairie Friendship Centre, UMAYC Program is pleased to present the
10th Annual Spirit Seekers Youth Conference My Spirit From All Directions: Then,
Now & 4EVER. This conference is open to youth 12 – 29 years of age.

This year, special guests include: Travis Dugas, Aaron Paquette, Shauna and
Shannon Baker, Rocky Morin and the Thundering Spirit singers. Conference Elders
include: Miriam Youngchief, National Association of Friendship Centres’ Senator,
and Louise English, Piikani Elder. Once again the conference will offer a Career and
Education Fair.

An added feature to this year’s event will be the first Round Dance and Feast, where
we will honor our Aboriginal Youth Role Models.

“Spirit Seekers is a conference planned by our youth, for the youth”, said Melodie
Wilton, Interim CEO. “Over the last 10 years, we have had participants from across
Western Canada, NWT and the Yukon. It’s a unique learning experience mixed with
a lot of fun,” she added. “This conference gives youth the opportunity to network
with peers, in a good way” said Delaine Lambert, UMAYC Coordinator. “We also
focus on bringing their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual components
together”.

This year’s event will be held at the Grande Prairie Regional College, March 20 &
21, 2009.

The registration fee is $110.00, which includes the feast and all the entertainment.
Deadline for registration is Friday, March 13, 2009.

For more information and registration packages, contact:

Delaine Lambert, UMAYC Coordinator
Grande Prairie Friendship Centre
Phone: 780 532 5617
Email: gpfc2@telusplanet.net

Interview with Sandi Greene

Mystique
Sandi Greene

Well, I hope to have a text interview with Sandi in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, enjoy a few of her photos, and please check out my podcast where Sandi and I sit down for a quick chat about her stunning images:

Interview with Sandi Greene

And her book:

Seeing Evangline

Looking For Red
Sandi Greene

Remember! If you haven't already, please subscribe at iTunes (just type in Aaron Paquette in the iTunes search bar) and feel free to give me feedback to make these little audio productions better for you!

This Butternut Squash Be Trippin

So last month was eventful.

I was a facilitator at the Banff Centre for a Royal Conservatory program called Learning Through The Arts (LTTA). It's a program where artists and teachers partner up to teach the curriculum to students through various art forms. For example, teaching numeracy with painting and symbols, or how electrical currents work through movement, etc.

The idea is that it incorporates all kinds of learning into the classroom to help all kids learn in as many ways as possible. Everyone is different and we all learn in different ways. The fancy words for this are Differentiated Instruction.




A week before that, I was in Toronto to receive my Mentor-Artist Educator Certificate from the Royal Conservatory in a very cool Convocation ceremony.

One of the major highlights? The butternut squash soup at the CN Tower. Honestly, it blew my mind.




_

Feeding the Insatiable Coldness

Northern Gods
9"x 12"
Mixed Media on Paper
2008

I painted two versions of this subject, I'll post the other soon.

This painting was in response to the dreams, both sleeping and waking, that I'd been having as I worked on my latest show with the Art Gallery of Alberta. I was exploring the mythos and history of the coming together of the two sides of my heritage: First Nations and Norse. The similarities in culture are astounding, as are the differences and this image kept coming to my mind.

What does it mean? Who are the two figures and what happened in the hours previous to this moment? Who is this mysterious god(gess) looking upon the scene with such apparent serenity or humour, compassion or disdain?

Even to me, the so-called creator, it is a mystery.

Halfbreed Mythology - An Art Gallery of Alberta Travelling Exhibit

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Down and Out - City Living
9" x 12"
Acrylic on Paper
2008

From the "Halfbreed Mythology" show guide:

As stated by Paul Smith, Aaron Paquette's paintings "illustrate moments of connection and conflict, both individual and communal". Such moments are perfectly expressed in the painting, 'Down and Out - City Living'. In this work Paquette connects with both his cultural heritage and the places, both emotional and physical, he finds himself in.

Paquette's heritage is expressed through the elements of the raven, the Norse snake, and the First Nation's decorative pattern in the foreground of the work.

The 'places' the artist finds himself in are also expressed in this painting. Aaron Paquette is an urban-dweller, and in this work the city is symbolised by the light standard and the graffiti wall. How the artist might feel about this place, and the situation faced by many First Nations/Metis peoples in the city, is movingly portrayed by the raven. Slumped in the foreground of the work, the raven is physically distanced from the symbols representing the city. The use of the complementary colours of orange and blue to separate these elements reinforces this physical distance and may reflect emotional dislocation as well. At present there are approximately 3000 homeless people in Edmonton alone, many of whom are of First Nations heritage. The figure of the raven, normally a powerful First Nations symbol, here sitting bedraggled and smoking a cigarette, functions as an evocative statement on this disturbing situation.

-thanks to Shane Golby

Windspeaker Confidential

A little interview from the summer.

Thanks to Dianne Meili, author of the much-loved book: Those Who Know - Profiles of Alberta's Native Elders


Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?

Aaron Paquette: A tough one right off the bat! All the good answers are honesty, loyalty, that kind of thing, but if someone's your friend, hopefully they already have that in spades. I think I'd have to say the ability to sit with you in silence, neither one feeling forced to break the awkward moment because the moment isn't awkward at all! It's just you and an old friend sitting there. Well, now that I put it that way it sounds kind of boring...

W: What is it that really makes you mad?

A.P.: People throwing their trash out the window of their car. Who do they think is going to clean it up anyway? Me? They're probably right, but that's a little presumptuous on their part, don't you think? Seriously, though, it really bothers me. It speaks of a complete absence of gratitude for the earth we live on and share. I can't really blame anyone, because who do you blame? In the end everyone does the best they can with what they've got at the moment. If you don't have gratitude, it's because no one gave that gift to you, or if they did you didn't understand it. I guess it's why we have a whole lifetime to learn it.

W: When are you at your happiest?

A.P.: I should probably say that it's when I'm painting, but really it's when I'm with my family. There's just something special about being able to tell old stories and love them every time, and to be able to take tragedy and turn it into laughter. Even though your family can make you go crazy sometimes, getting through it is healing and it's when I learn the most.

W: What one word best describes you when you are at your worst?

A.P.: Hopeless

W: What one person do you most admire and why?

A.P.: Myself. My humility. Ha ha, just kidding. It's got to be my mom, for giving it her best every day of our lives. They don't give awards for that, but they sure as heck should.

W: What is the most difficult thing you've ever had to do?

A.P.: Getting to the point where I knew what it really meant to let go. Once I finally reached that, actually letting go was the easy part.

W: What is your greatest accomplishment?

For the rest of the article hit this link.

Podcast Broadcast

Well, I've finally done it.

I've jumped into the podcast world.

I've recorded 3 episodes so far to see how they fly, and I have a long way to go, but I'm fairly happy with how they've turned out so far.

Here's the iTunes link:

Click on me!

Subscribe, listen in, please give me your feedback and I'll endeavour to make these little podcasts helpful, informative and worth the 15 minute listen every couple of weeks.

I hope everyone had a great Holiday and here's to all the best in 2009.

-Aaron

Grandmothers

Grandmothers
Mixed Media on Canvas
2008

This is a painting of my grandmothers. Like the twisting of the braid, the winding road that lead our forebears to meet and mix and create has lead right down to us, caught in the plaiting of history and time. We are the way between, the observer of the past and the ones who continue to hope for the future. The present moment, our Now, is like the smoke from the smudge, drifting up on the air, cleansing, entreating. There are seven tendrils of smoke in this painting - of the burning sage - that speak of seven generations. Before us, after us, it's all the same.

Letters encircle the drum forms in the corner. Writing, that gift of Odin gleaned from the ether as he hung upon Yggdrasil as a sacrifice of himself to himself. nine days he hung and brought us a way to preserve our thoughts, our stories, our histories and legends.

These things that are passed down from generation to generation under the tutelage and watchful care of our grandmothers, if not in the flesh, then in their spirit.


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Of interest to a few:

The smudge bowl in the painting was given me by Terrance Houle in Banff, December 2006

Wordle of the Day

from wordle