Wolf-woven (commission) 12 x 16 inches
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If wolf-woven, the trail is discreet,
pad-soft, whisker driven, intricate,
a twisted run through timber, brush and tall grasses.

We-dogs work this trail with nose and eyes, confronting food,
avoiding the unfamiliar.

If man-made, the trail is wide and clear ,
pad-hard, wheel-driven, open and blunt.
They-dogs run this trail with eyes closed.

We-dogs watch for them. We do remember contact.
But they are unsafe, as exposed on these trails as they are.

We too are unsafe on the man-trails.

White Geese

White Geese
Painting in gouache, 15 x 11.5 inches

Meringues

MacIsaac’s Pond in Inverness has been posted for several years now, against the harvesting of shellfish. The shell debris from hungry gulls has since increased dramatically in volume and in size. Razor clams 10 inches long. None yet appear so neon as this oyster pair but who knows what they’re living on and how it will manifest?

Painting in gouache, 11.5 x 15.25 inches

Hibernation

In Ojibwe tradition, Bear is the nurturer, she knows the sources of food and medicines in the bush. Bear rescued the first human children from starvation by feeding them her own flesh when winter killed off the plants they had learned to feed on. I bring Bear into the studio with me when winter comes. I ask her spirit for inspiration and fortitude as I make my way toward the images I need to bring into my stories. I trust Bear to direct my vision and to nurture my impulse for creativity.

II. Hibernation & Possibilities

II. Hibernation & Possibilities
Growth and differentiation; my vision is more and more articulated in the quiet generous cave of Bear ‘s womb.

Artist's Statement

I was born and raised in Northern Ontario. My father was born on the Fort William Reserve. His father was of mixed Ojibwe parents and his mother Acadian. My mother is a war bride from England and all of my family’s stories speak of the rich experience of mixed cultures and the raw newness of the North American frontier.

The story is the primary intent of the images you will find here. Figures, actions and places, whether observed or imagined, are brought together to convey the nature of experience, feeling or vision. Beginning with line, forms grow and incline toward recognizable figures. Figures touch, or don’t touch creating the impression of relationship. If I can keep the lines and forms strong, and the relationships clear, a story will be told and will have an effect on the viewer even if I made it all up.

Va McCoy

Monday, August 23, 2010

TR's Adventure at Angus the Wheeler's

Late in June of this year, Cape Breton University Press released TR's Adventure at Angus the Wheeler's. This is Frank's story of the magic and people and place that are home here in Inverness, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
Then I went away to say goodbye to my Mother and to my Aunt Dorothy (of Dorothy and the Raven). These grand ladies were the last of their genreation in our family. We are bereft.
Still, I'm very happy to have had Frank's book (our book) to carry with me. It was a helpful reminder that time is nothing (TR's Adventure was written and illustrated more than 20 years ago and still relevant), that magic and love are forever and that we are never without something to share and loved ones with whom share something.
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