This month’s challenge piece over at Art Bead Scene is this watercolour by Emily Carr entitled ‘Haida Totems’.
In 1912 Emily Carr set off alone on a momentuous six-week trip, and eventually came to the remote settlements of the Haida people on an archipelago then called the Queen Charlotte Islands but now known as Haida Gwaii. Here she found many fine totem poles ‘tragic and fierce’, and everything which surrounded her was ‘so vast and deep you shrivelled up’.
I was immediately fascinated by this story, what an adventure it must have been!
For me the main elements in this painting are the totem poles, the house and the trees, and I wanted to create something using all three…something to tell the story of a brave woman going off on an adventure all those years ago.
So I made a little Haida House, some Totem Headpins and some leaves out of polymer clay.
I designed my necklace to be a little like a dreamcatcher…something precious an adventurer might wear to keep those things so dear close by.
I found this piece SO inspiring, and I love the creative journey to places unknown which the Art Bead Scene challenges provide each month.
