Anchor Art Space: My Residency / Part 1

Yesterday was the start of my 5-week residency at Anchor Art Space in Anacortes, Washington. Anacortes is a small fishing town located at the north end of Fidalgo Island in the northern end of the Puget Sound. The gallery is a beautiful space, in an historic building erected in 1891, the same year the town was incorporated.

The space is welcoming and ripe for my creativity! I'm planning to explore the symbolic metaphor of the “curtain” during my time here. I’m interested in that knife-edge of time between innocence and knowing. There is also an element of healing that will take place here, I hope.

Yesterday, some friends and I held a Shamanic ritual ceremony here to cleanse, protect, seal, and bless the space in preparation for my work here. We all set intentions for what we hope will take place during my time in the gallery. I was overcome with emotion upon receiving the love and support of my friends.

This symbol on the floor is designed to attract and catch what I will need during the next few weeks: peace, time, healing, inspiration, motivation, and love.

I will keep this small altar in the space as a reminder of all the positive energy we created and the love that surrounds me!

Spring Weekend in Southern Utah

 

Matt and I spent the weekend poking around one of our favorite springtime stomping grounds—Southeast Utah. Matt took this photo of the Colorado River near Lake Powell, with the Henry Mountains in the background. Check out more of his beautiful landscape photographs here.

 

This was the view of the full moon from our campsite in Lower Johns Canyon, on the edge of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Lots of amazing Native American rock art was there to be admired.

I think Kokopelli might be one of the figures featured on this rock (above, center). Kokopelli is a fertility god, according to the Hopi tribe. He’s also considered to be a trickster and represents the spirit of music. He is usually pictured playing a flute.

Mojo and Kala had a blast exploring the canyon. This was Kala’s first camping trip, and I think it agreed with her! I wish I’d gotten more photos of her romping around in the creek. She loved splashing around and sprinting through the water pools even as Mojo was quite content to watch from the sidelines.

Late Spring / Southern Utah

Last weekend Matt and I went back to Southeast Utah for one last desert adventure before it gets too hot. We camped on Cedar Mesa and looked around the Anasazi ruins at Moonhouse. The next day we drove up Butler Wash and hiked to the top of Comb Ridge.

View of the San Juan River canyons south to Monument Valley from our campsite at Muley Point (in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area).

View to the west from Comb Ridge, looking over Comb Wash. The desert is really green this year because of the unusual rains and cool weather we’ve had this spring. Notice the dirt road running along the valley floor.

Check out this crazy overhang where the Anasazi built their homes over 800 years ago! This area is called “Moonhouse”.

A bunch of yokels from Blanding, Utah were arrested last week for pillaging through similar sacred Native American sites and stealing artifacts off public lands and then illegally trafficking them for a profit of about $350,000. One of the thieves, the local Morman physician, had been caught for this kind of activity before... and yet he continued to disregard the law. After he was released on bail, he committed suicide. Now many locals are blaming the government for his death.

I find it ironic and completely hypocritical of these Mormans whose ansestors came to Utah to escape religious persecution, to then turn around and desecrate and disrespect the religious artifacts of another marginalized group. I’m so disappointed that there are still people in this country who feel and act as if Native Americans don’t belong on the land their people have occupied for millennia. . . Especially in a place as beautiful and spiritually inspiring as Utah.

More Surprises / Southern Utah

A Native American grain storage building under a rock overhang in a cliff side.

The Southern Utah deserts are bursting with surprises — large and small, from wildflowers to thousand-year old native rock art to natural arches and springs. Matt and I have come across quite a few Native American drawings as we’ve explored our local region this spring.

This natural arch is called “Paul Bunyan’s Potty” and is located near the granary pictured above. You can get a sense of the scale of things by noticing Matt standing at the base of the rock at the bottom of the picture.

Native American rock art at the base of a cliff just outside Canyonlands National Park.