I was an artist in residence at Leighton Colony, in Banff, high in the Alberta Rockies, with a wonderful studio to paint in for three months. What to paint? The neighboring artist, who was on a career track to be head of Alberta College of Art, said I was expected to do abstractions.

But instead, always following my inner muse... I received a dream of a raggedy bear playing the cello. So it turns out Alymer Bylsma from Holland was to play a cello concert at the Banff School of Music. I went, and he looked exactly like that bear! He wasn't the only bear around. Banff is a national park, and the animals (including bears) all do their rounds about the artists' residency...

The little people relate to native local myths.

The music stand was there in my studio, and I had the only studio with windows--so, October and blue skies forever.

I was very happy there. Sculptors generally are frustrated painters. So when I can plunk myself down and paint to my heart's content, I am glad.

Never did show this at the Banff Art Museum. Should have, as it was a turning point for working with animal mythology. Later, living on my island, I even played music to the bears, or so the local fishermen said...

The crevasse is nearby, part of the local tectonic mythology.

The painting is much cherished and hangs in a private home near Sooke, BC, playing music to the Pacific Ocean over a fireplace. Amen.

--Georganna Malloff

EDITOR'S NOTE

• "Nothing But Blue Skies From Now On", Mister Bear? But won't that dry up all the rivers rising from that dance? We need the rain! Will all the sexy Rubenesque cloud-ladies on the score dissolve away, into a monotonous sunny day? Play away, Mister Bear, but... play us some gray days, too. Even if we say we don't want them, we do.
• The note on the right side of the drawing is hard to make out, but I think it says 'A spirit dwells in every corner of creation.' Or 'every critter in creation' (which I like even more, being a critter, not a corner.)
• Confession time: it was the owl. When I saw that owl, I knew I had to track down Georganna and ask her if the Dreambank could show this. Really, though, Mister Bear has the same clumsy grace. Dreams aren't neat and crisp; not some inner MTV. Gloriously wobbly. That's what gives elbow room (or finroom, or wingroom) for grace.

So wobble on, all you spirits in your funny bodies! And recognize your partners in the dance.

--Chris Wayan

World Dream Bank homepage - Art gallery - New stuff - Introductory sampler, best dreams, best art - On dreamwork - Books
Indexes: Subject - Author - Date - Names - Places - Art media/styles
Titles: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - IJ - KL - M - NO - PQ - R - Sa-Sk - Sl-Sz - T - UV - WXYZ
Email: wdreamb@yahoo.com - Catalog of art, books, CDs - Behind the Curtain: FAQs, bio, site map - Kindred sites