Thohahente Kim Weaver

PO Box 494 Ohsweken, Six Nations on the Grand River N0A 1M0 250-850-9992:
E-Mail: kim@kimpatrickweaver.com

Artist Statement
I love to paint landscapes or seascapes and the inspiration for a particular
subjects most frequently comes to me in the beginning through the lens of
my camera. It is my sketchbook. I may shoot a particular scene or a subject
within the larger panorama then follows a process that is sometimes intuitive
thought shaped by the ideas and views that matter to me.
This process leads me deeper into the work where the metaphysical links
begin to tie into the visual subject matter. As is often the case, once the
metaphysical and visual begin to ferment, it will lead me to other images that
further the telling of the story. A completed work may end up being a
composite of several scenes or subjects I have seen, or photographed, or
sketched that becomes collaboration on the support to tell the full tale.
My work focuses on the environment, the evolution of man, his thoughts and
actions and his relationship with nature. Of particular interest is civilized
mans pre-occupation with the material and his tunnel vision regarding the
sustainability of the natural world and the potential consequences to human
life as this blind pursuit continues. A new direction is the telling of this story
with the understanding of the Indigenous Peoples perspective.
My work has been described as a style that is in your face. The colours are
bold and the hues rich. The use of the encaustic style allows dimensional
emphasis creating drama and depth.

Infl uences
My earliest influences were Emily Carr and Lawren Harris. Then, a trip to
Amsterdam and a day at the Van Gogh museum sent me into a frenzy of
painting as I saw the world in a whole new way. Later, Georgia OKeefes
influence helped me understand light in more subtle ways. For some time I
lived near the wonderful Anishinaabe museum Weytung at Curve Lake. As I
explore my Indigenous path, the influence of artists like David B. Johnson and
Norval Morriseau is apparent.

About the painting Sunset Pacifi c Grove 2001

I was walking with a friend along the shore in Monterrey, California. We
walked out onto a rocky finger of land that protruded into the bay. It was very

quiet as the sun went down. The eucalyptus trees on the point of land to the
west were in silhouette to the setting sun. The seas were very calm in this
sheltered cove and patches of kelp floated on the surface. In the dimming
light, I could hear a sound. A chorus of meaty smacks. The sea others
(maybe a dozen of them) were dining on abalone using rock to break the
shells against their chests. In the painting I worked to capture this sense of
serenity and surrealism of the trees against the setting sun like some glimpse
of distant Africa. Perhaps in the silence you too can hear the sounds of the
otters preparing their meal.