Metis Spirit Animals

Phyllis Jarrett

Author

I grew up on a small Saskatchewan farm overlooking Last Mountain Lake. My peaceful creating space was upstairs by a window often covered in an inch of frost during the winter months. I am fortunate to be a self taught artist in the digital era as a wealth of knowledge is at my fingertips. Presently my focus is mixed media, acrylic, collage and carving. I plan on carving animal portraits on wood blocks for printmaking to honour the animals that the Indigenous people gratefully accepted from Mother Earth to survive. I have designed several Metis beadwork graphics that are incorporated into my artwork and my photography is mainly focused on the beauty of nature. My Kokum's creativity and determination inspired my art. She lived in a two room house on Jackrabbit Road on the road allowance in Lebret, Saskatchewan. There she brought up 11 children with her husband Gregoire Poitras. During the winter months she lived with us as her home lacked amenities. Lovingly we would string beads for her gorgeous necklaces. For our efforts a nickel per string, which would go full circle in an evening game of rummy. The sales of necklaces provided her with extra income for living expenses. As a retired teacher of 28 years I can now focus my time creating art and enjoying more moments with my family. Some interesting facts about my family history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Poitras http://www.metismuseum.ca/resource.php/149121 Website:https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/MetisSpiritArt https://www.instagram.com/metisspiritart/