Visiting and Revisiting

Here's a fun story.

I have never forgotten this root sample I stood in front of at the University of Saskatchewan when I went back to school in the early 90's. I thought I would try to see it again in person because I knew it would be key to my research. Sadly, I couldn't locate it. I remembered it being near the elevators in the Agriculture building on campus. I distinctly remember staring at it while I waiting for the elevator on a regular basis.

At the Artists' Workshop Spring Show and Sale where I sell my work, one of the guests overheard my lament and said, "Oh! That's still there." He told me exactly where to find it. Apparently, I was looking in the right place but on the wrong floor. I was SO relieved, I could hardly wait to get back in person. (Thank you Alvin!)

That week, my teenager and I toured around the Ag building. The amount of soil samples, plant samples, and artwork was incredible. And then, (gasp!) THERE IT WAS.

Those are inches, not centimetres.

"Root system of a single two year old plant of Crested Wheat Grass grown in an area 3ft x 3ft - 1936 Weed Research Laboratory University of Saskatchewan" and the measurements down the side are in inches. Wow. I did not realize this was a sample from 1936.

I had tears in my eyes and my hear was fluttering! Thirty years ago, this mezmorised me. I was there to become a Social Worker, worked in the human services field of helping victims of gender based violence, became a mother of three, and now here I am. Full circle, and yet still spellbound no less. My role now is to make art to speak for Her. This is wild. How did this happen? 

It doesn't matter. This is path I'm on. Keep going...

I walked down several hallways, enjoying samples and displays on the wall. One caught my eye. It appeared to be a watercolor abstract, with strips of vertical browns and earth tones of varying widths. The artist's name was "Dr. Ken Van Rees" and it said it was a watercolour of actual soil samples.

by Dr. Ken Van Rees

WAIT A MINUTE. I just met this guy at my opening reception for my solo show at Hues, "Road Well Travelled". He's a painter named Ken with Men Who Paint. !? Dr?? So I went home and googled him, only to find that he's a Soil Scientist, retired after 30 yrs, who became a painter more recently. I watched a brief video (please enjoy!) and thought it was so amazing that he was a scientist learning about art. Here I am, an artist learning about science. I said out loud to myself, "I HAVE TO MEET THIS GUY!"

So I did. I contacted him. He remembered me. He invited me over to his home studio. He showed me nature art, paintings, powdered soil & other samples ready for pigment use, AND the original black and white video footage of the Crested Wheat Grass and other samples being excavated at the University here, washed & displayed from nearly 100 years ago. He showed this film regularly as part of his lectures.

What an amazing connection. He gave me some names to go forward with more of my research. (Thank you Ken!) I've since found wonderful and complete information in online archives.

Still, I laugh, "How did this happen?" It doesn't matter. Keep going...

I can't say it enough. I am thoroughly grateful to Canada Council for the Arts.

xo

Monika K