This July 2021, I have the opportunity to move Procession (I used to refer to this work as “the” procession, but using the definite article “the” somehow seemed to limit the idea from processions in general to a specific procession. I understand that this is a specific procession that I’m making here, but I want to leave room for processions in general) from my home studio into the studio space at the Comox Valley Art Gallery (CVAG). This move will enable me to spread out the elements of Procession so that I can “see” what I have done, what the relationships can be among the various pieces, and what I need to work on next or complete.

This blog space documents the move, the work, the process.

July 5

Today I’m heading over to the CVAG studio with a carload of stuff. I have to admit, I’m relieved to be able to get this all out of my apartment, as it was taking over the major part of my living area, and although I love working on it, being surrounded by all these figures was starting to get to me.

The Major Aspects are the original wooden pieces that I created out of plywood in the FIN 121 class at North Island College. There are twelve major aspects, and each one represents an emotion or an emotional relationship or an event (series of events, life patterns) drawn from my life. I call these “major” because they represent something larger, or more important, from my life.

Also part of Procession are several Minor Aspects. The minor aspects are also based on emotions or events from my life, similar to the Major Aspects, but are less “heavy”, or less influential.

I call this piece in process “Procession” because as I began to work on it and develop the pieces, it appeared to me that I am reifying my internal life in order to look at it in all its complexity and variation; a kind of procession of the years come to visit.

As I make each piece, refine each piece, I relive some of the memories that led to the development of the piece and I can come to terms with the events that may have led to the emotionality that accompanied those events.

In this way, the piece feels like a review of and acceptance of the events of my life. And further, I think that upon completion, and maybe even before completion, I have the opportunity to “move on” to the end of my life, however long that may be.