Cariboo, tar sands and elections

I`m back in the studio after a hiatus while my family moved out to Maple Ridge, BC, where I`m artist in residence for the next few years. My residency project this summer is to build a lantern installation in the park adjacent to the studio. The project is very fun, but a different kind of art making for me. My hands have been aching to get back to painting and making collages.

So, I decided to start small and play with materials at hand. I`ve been thinking a lot these days about the Canadian federal election, oil money, decisions about water resources, and wildlife. I found some old Monopoly game cards and money, a map of Alberta, the Ace of Spades, a fortune from a cookie, and a multi-language dictionary. The picture of the cariboo came from an old illustrated science encyclopedia.

This is what emerged:

Cariboo, mixed media collage (approx. 5" x 7").