Four Hills...WINTER

In a previous post, I introduced the project , Four Hills, where I would be photographing the Rooted in RED symbol through the four seasons.  The four seasons tell the story of growing, maturing and the process of life and aging according to Ojibwe teachings.  I started with Fall (adolescents), and have now moved onto winter (adult).  I applied red ochre powder pigment to the snow drift in my backyard.  Outside in the sun, the deep, rich hue of red ochre looks natural and an obvious earth mineral.  In photos it looks like blood.  I was originally going to tag snow banks through Denver with this symbol in red ochre, but it is so similar to blood that I do not feel comfortable doing it.  So for now, it will remain documented from my yard:)  The pigment was dry as I painted into the snow, so it settled on the surface, as it absorbed it resembled a velvet surface reflecting the light.  

DAY 1.................................................................................................

Rooted in RED red ochre symbol in snow

Day 2...................................................................................................

Day 3...................................................................................................

Day 4...................................................................................................

Weaves of Red!

Working with red ochre pigment mixed with an acrylic gel medium and red ochre acrylic paint, I made acrylic skins.  Getting an idea of how well the materials hold up in a weave that is a little bigger than 12"x12".  After the pieces were woven together, I applied a layer of high-gloss varnish, to portray a wet paint look.  fresh.  Pushing this idea further.  mastered the basket weave! now moving on to more intricate weaving designs.  

30"x 8"  red ochre pigments

Neanderthals using red ochre!

  In my recent research I came across this amazing article that is likely bringing the use of red ochre all the way back to the Neanderthals!  I'm super excited to share this!  

http://phys.org/news/2012-01-team-evidence-red-ochre-neanderthals.html

Weaving red ochre

BASKET WEAVING!  I have been using canvas saturated in pigment to weave and recently have turned to acrylic skins to start weaving.  More to come of this!  I have lots of ideas on how to exhibit and work with the idea to bring forth the contemporary idea of red ochre.

Rooted in RED workshop!

Today was the first Rooted in RED workshop!  

So excited to be able to put into action all that I have found red ochre.  I held the workshop in my studio, which is a basement studio on Santa Fe Street in Denver, Colorado.   I had 12 people from ages 18 months to 50 years old.    The diversity in age, was exciting as everyone worked together on the activities. 

The first thing we did was Egyptian kraters out of air-drying terra cotta clay.  Using the red clay was to symbolize the usage of red ochre in Egyptian pottery.   We did not finish the kraters, as they were not dry yet, but next month we intend on painting them all black and using scraffito to document out own story out of symbols.  Everyone is really excited about continuing! 

 Before we had a break for lunch (which was good  ol' Noa Noa, great Mexican cuisine across the street), we started on the mural.  I used dry, French, red ochre pigment and water and also Liquitex red ochre acrylic paint diluted with water.  Each of these red ochres, were available in trays to place hands in and hand paint.  As the hand prints of all sizes started to build up the red ochres started to blend.   This was something that I did not plan nor expect.  The cave art from Altamira was the inspiration for this mural.  

When we returned from lunch we continued on our mural.  We painted the Rooted in RED symbol in bear oil and red ochre pigment. I painted one and then people started to make their own.  Varying the symbol was inevitable and turned out to be an interesting interpretations.

Mia brilliantly noticed that when I was painting the symbol, I began it the same way she spells her name:)

ROOTED IN RED POWER!!!!  

Everyone loves the tattoos and since they were all on their wrists, it was an easy guide to paint the symbol on the mural!  The overall workshop was a lot of fun and thank you to all who participated!  You guys were amazing, breathing new life in Rooted in RED!  

Red ochre dance

As part of my process I mix raw red ochre pigment with water and pour onto surfaces.  This allows the pigment to dry onto the surface un marked.  Depending on how the pigment dries, it cracks.  When it cracks it becomes flaky and depending on the piece I purposefully irritate it till the loose pigment falls off.  BUT, sometimes, I like to make the red ochre dance!!!!!!!  My paintbrush is like a drum and the vibration creates an exchange of decomposing and rejuvenation!

Rooted in RED paintings part 2

Still using the Rooted in RED symbol as the basis of design, I switched back over to the red ochre to become the subject of these paintings.  Working with different approaches to the color.  Layering glazes  upon one another on top of red ochre to see how that changes the visual effects of the pigment.   Red constellation is the outline of  many Rooted in RED symbols, giving a new constellation.  The constellations were incredibly important to the Ojibwe people, likely Muzzinabikon images.  Woven Red is a complete experiment.  Using traditional basic weaving techniques I wove together a red ochre and red dye #5 canvas, creating a weave of artificial and natural reds.  

Red constellation  48"x 36"

Woven Red  24"x16"