The Power of Love (Part I)

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~ This post was originally published on 12/23/2010 (click HERE)-
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"Spiritual Self Looks Beyond", 48"x36", © Norval Morrisseau

~ "The Hellen E. Band Collection"; Thunder Bay Art Gallery

/Click on image to Enlarge/-


"The love on earth reflects the love above. No quality of human endeavour is without the unremitting love of the Creator. Your gift to the world is yourself. Where you stand the Creator stands.

One day you will understand what I understood when I did my paintings."

NORVAL MORRISSEAU, Ojibway

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* The artwork in this post: "Spiritual Self Looks Beyond", 48"x36", © Norval Morrisseau; See page 128 of THE ART OF NORVAL MORRISSEAU /Lister Sinclair, Jack Pollock, and Norval Morrisseau/; ISBN: 0-458-93820-3 /Toronto, Ontario: Methuen, 1979./

Norval Morrisseau Painting Techniques (Part VI)

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-~ This post was previously presented on 05/06/2009 (click HERE)


by SpiritWalker2008


"Many times Norval Morrisseau would not finish his art pieces with thick black outlines... As described in this 'You Tube' video presentation he would sometimes start with black background and with consequent layers of paint until completion of the painting. This is just one of the attempts to analyze different painting techniques of the great Canadian master Norval Morrisseau.

Note: This video has been compiled after detailed inspection of the painting being presented.

Miigwtech,

Spirit Walker
/spiritwalker2008@gmail.com/
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>>> Reference posts:
- Norval Morrisseau Painting Techniques (Part I),
- Norval Morrisseau Painting Techniques (Part II),
- Norval Morrisseau Painting Techniques (Part III),
- Norval Morrisseau Painting Techniques (Part IV),
- Norval Morrisseau Painting Techniques (Part V), 
- Understanding Art of Norval Morrisseau (Part I),
- Understanding Art of Norval Morrisseau (Part II),
- Understanding Art of Norval Morrisseau (Part III),
- Understanding Art of Norval Morrisseau (Part IV) &
- Understanding Art of Norval Morrisseau (Part V).

* The painting in this 'You Tube" presentation: "Christ My Savior", 24"x20", © 1980 Norval Morrisseau /Private Collection/

Easter Monday 2011

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"Untitled" [Rabbit], © 1960s Norval Morrisseau
/Click on image to Enlarge/


"I transmit astral plane harmonies through my brushes into the physical plane. These otherworld colours are reflected in the alphabet of nature, a grammar in which the symbols are plants, animals, birds, fishes, earth and sky. I am merely a channel for the spirit to utilize, and it is needed by a spirit starved society."
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Norval Morrisseau
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* This acrylic & ink on paper in this post: "Untitled" [Rabbit], 24"x16" (image size) - 26"x24" (framed size) -  © c. 1960s Norval Morrisseau; PROVENANCE: Available for sale at Wah-sa Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA (click HERE)

>>> Morrisseau Sculptor: Susan Murar /Learning to create art through the eyes of your heart/

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Portrait of Norval Morrisseau (detail) Illustration by Spirit Walker

© Susan Murar; Photography by Lucinda Jones

/Click on image to Enter Susan Murar's website/

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Portrait (White clay): 6'-4" x 3'-6" x 2'-2" (Height x Width x Depth)

Staff (White clay): 3'-10" x 1'-10" x 10" (Height x Width x Depth)

/The portrait has not yet been cast into bronze/

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* Inquires from patrons and cultural institutions wordwide will be welcomed-
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 "LEARNING TO CREATE ART THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART"

When you draw, sculpt/paint anything on Earth, become the thing you are creating as art. Feel compassion and synchronicity with its life force. See with your heart and your eyes will see truth. Truth is love, and love is the reason you exist...to love yourself and know that you share the spirit within every energy that exists in the universe.

When you try to create again, through art, what has already been created, your path is pure and you become one with the all of everything...and all of everything becomes a part of you. Whether you draw or sculpt, be with joy for joy is also love and heart-connection, and becoming who you were meant to truly be now, in this moment of perfection.

Through you spirit has learned to sing, because of your eyes the world exists in all its complex beauty, "Create as you were created" in art and all other manifestations - see through your heart and your eyes will follow, and frustration will open to awareness and, technical facility. You will become what you desire and desire stirs all creation and artistic endeavor.

"I desire to create beautiful and meaningful form and line. I desire to search within myself for artistic expression that is unique to me, I desire to learn to create art to understand my world, I desire to feel passionate about life through art - because I am an artist. I desire to know the totality of my capabilities in imagination, and, what does my art say about me?"

As an artist and as a human being, I wish to be a part of everything - life. We feel through our heart the fragility of life in all its intimacy, for "intimacy is the world."

Susan Murar, Sculptor
BA, MFA, AOCAD

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>>> Reference post:

- Susan Murar about Norval Morrisseau, 
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part I),
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part II),
--/ARTIST STATEMENT/

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part III)
--/HOW THE NORVAL MORRISSEAU WAS SCULPTED?/ &

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part IV)
--/"LEARNING TO CREATE ART THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART"/.-

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Easter Sunday 2011

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"Jesus Christ", © 1970s Norval Morrisseau
/Click on image to Enlarge/


"I have always been attracted to religious paintings, but only the ones that had that mystical or supernatural quality in them, especially Saint Teresa by Bernini. Just looking at Saint Teresa I get some kind of vibrations from it. I can close my eyes and feel them. That's great art, and it brings on that tingling sexual feeling. Other saints, like Saint Sebastian, do that as well. But the Christ figure was always the one that was dominant for me.That's why I say that Christ to me is still the greatest shaman, and that is why some religious visions are so complex, and so very hard to explain to people. So whenever you are looking at my pictures, you are looking at my visions, whatever they may be."

Norval Morrisseau
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* The painting on canvas in this post: "Jesus Christ", © c. 1970s Norval Morrisseau; PROVENANCE: Acquired from Bearclaw Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta CANADA /Private Collection/

>>> Morrisseau Sculptor: Susan Murar /How the Norval Morrisseau was sculpted?/

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Portrait of Norval Morrisseau Illustration by Spirit Walker

© Susan Murar; Photography by Lucinda Jones

/Click on image to Enter Susan Murar's website/

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Portrait (White clay): 6'-4" x 3'-6" x 2'-2" (Height x Width x Depth)

Staff (White clay): 3'-10" x 1'-10" x 10" (Height x Width x Depth)

/The portrait has not yet been cast into bronze/

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* Inquires from patrons and cultural institutions wordwide will be welcomed-

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HOW THE NORVAL MORRISSEAU WAS SCULPTED? -The armature of the Norval Morrisseau portrait is almost completely-made of basketry which was wired together, plastered over, and painted to have a non-porous surface on which to attach the non-drying clay, plasticine, the colour of the clay antique white.

The eagle headdress is a basket in the shape of the horn of plenty which was wired and pulled into the shape of the eagle's beak and plastered before cutting the wire.
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The wings are, each, one formed piece of styrofoam/insulation that are painted and an armature of wood under each wing was needed to support them for the application of clay, because they were too delicate.
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Behind the portrait itself, the face, an old cooking pot made of aluminum was found, along with the baskets, at the Goodwill Store. Although this was functional as far as the round squatty shape, when I was putting it in place I thought that Norval would be amused at a cooking pot in his head, mildly symbolic and humorous although my intention was only practical.

The Shaman Staff is also made-two similar baskets that I found in two different towns, one in Shakespeare and the other in the Ten Thousand Villages store in New Hamburg-on sale. They were gifts to me because they worked so well with the shape of the Shaman Staff that I had de­signed. The same process of plastering and painting was used as the main part of the sculpture.

Most of the sculpture, excepting the face, is painted with acrylic antique white, the same colour as the clay. It firms the non-drying clay to the touch-and people want to touch it-and prevents dust from gripping onto the clay. Between 400 and 500 packages of one-dollar a package plasticine was used, purchased at the dollar store, I used what was close at hand, and through the years I have sculpted in white clay in my "Messages" series with salamanders and the human element as landscape because the highlights and lowlights can be so easily seen with the right lighting from many different angles, when each part is sculpted. In Morrisseau's paintings white as an indication of Spirit is also prevalent.

-The wings were much bigger when they were first designed, and eventually I re-made them smaller so that they did not detract from the main por­trait of Morrisseau. Also, I sculpted in the entire bottom portion of his self-portrait "Changing into Copper Thunderbird", but the design into sculpture translated from the painting did not work well size-wize for the sculpture, so it was scrapped.

The film about Morrisseau made while he was alive-he was extensively interviewed-by the National Film Board served me well as I was able to secure the DVD player next to the sculpted face and stop-action the film to study the structure of his face, so he sat for me essentially. When doing portraits however, after many months of research, I sculpt the age of the sitter "between young and old" and try to achieve an "interior look", the portrait speaks to the inner life, the inner man, the artist of "thought" and connections to his work, and his intentions and connections to the people of the earth with whom he lived his life, whether known or not, universally. What was he seeking and who was he really when all is said and done? Understanding this is my main purpose as an artist-to see beneath the surface and describe the spirit-presence and translate that into clay. I feel this has been done successfully with the portrait of Norval Mdrrisseau, it will speak to the ages, and people will see themselves in it and discover a link to this man who gave his great art to the world.

I should add that the positioning of the wings was extremely difficult, they had to be just right as far as balance of the design. The Shaman Staff also took quite a few steps, as in a dance, around the studio before finding its place. I worry now, before casting, that these positions will be exact in the final bronze.

To honour Norval Morrisseau, after designing the sculpture/portrait I studied his paintings extensively and used them in the sculpture in my bas-relief designs, therefore I have signed the sculpture at the back along with writing, in clay, the name Morrisseau. Almost everything in bas-relief has been studied from his paintings, there could be no other way, his work is just so powerful, "it had to be done". It speaks, and, it is silent, and it connects to a source that only he had access to and that we all desire. That is why his work is so important to humanity.

I worked on the base I built out of two-by-fours, the height I wanted him to be so that parents could hold her/his child in their arms and look into this great face. People visiting the studio like to stand directly in front of his gaze, and they are silent. There is a connec­tion. I straddled the wooden base to sculpt, and also did a lot of work on ladders. About midpoint in this process I moved my studio and hired a crew from an auction house in Stratford to move the Morrisseau-I took off the wings, from the second storey three men, two behind and one in front started down a steep stairs with the Morrisseau at an impossible angle, bolted-no screwed down to the base. Midway, the screws gave way and the top of the base disconnected from the main sculpture and the sculpture tipped-and was possibly lost-as I watched from above. It is true when they say things go into slow motion in a disastrous situation. It fell and continued falling, face forward. Then-one inch of the top of the eagle headdress caught the overhanging protrusion of ceiling on the stair and stopped, resting there for rescue. A mad rush of getting longer screws and screwdrivers to the men, and the man at the bottom using his entire body to puch against the sculpture..... and the repairs, when it reached my new studio was a small glob of clay to fill the one-inch gap at the top of the eagle headdress. A miracle.

I am hoping that the mould needed to cast the Morrisseau can be made in my studio, because the piece is too big to leave through any door or window, it would have to be cut into pieces and although I know that is one of the processes used, I do not want that for the Morrisseau-it is too finely sculpted over these two years of work on the portrait.

Susan Murar, Sculptor
BA, MFA, AOCAD

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>>> Reference post:

- Susan Murar about Norval Morrisseau, 
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part I),
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part II),
--/ARTIST STATEMENT/

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part III)
--/HOW THE NORVAL MORRISSEAU WAS SCULPTED?/ &

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part IV)
--/"LEARNING TO CREATE ART THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART"/.-

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Holy Saturday 2011

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* This painting was originally published on January 7th, 2008 (click HERE)
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"Astral Projection", 27"x39",© 1980 Norval Morrisseau
/Click on image to Enlarge/


"For example, being a shaman as well as a spiritual person, I do think I have visions. Some of the visions I have had are in many colors. Some are not. In a way, that is hard to explain. But I have seen imagery about Christ and about the Virgin Mary. In fact, one time I think I actually went into the Astral Heaven, and worked there for twelve hours. I was lying down at the time. It was amazing. In that vision I saw Christ and a room full of people. On one side of the room, the people were all dressed in green, flowing robes; on the other side, they were dressed in maroon robes. All at once there were choirs upon choirs upon choirs of angels and saints. They were all singing. It's something you just cannot explain. The music they were playing ... and then I saw a shower of roses raining down ... robes flowing ... this burning fire ... the Holy Spirit. Then someone in a black robe walks in. And you say, "What the hell is happening? What's all this rejoicing? What's going on?"
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Norval Morrisseau
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* The acrylic painting on canvas in this post: "Astral Projection", 27"x39", © 1980 Norval Morrisseau /Ugo Matulić a.k.a. Spirit Walker's Private Collection/

>>> Morrisseau Sculptor: Susan Murar /Artist Statement/

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Portrait of Norval Morrisseau Illustration by Spirit Walker

© Susan Murar; Photography by Lucinda Jones

/Click on image to Enter Susan Murar's website/

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Portrait (White clay): 6'-4" x 3'-6" x 2'-2" (Height x Width x Depth)

Staff (White clay): 3'-10" x 1'-10" x 10" (Height x Width x Depth)

/The portrait has not yet been cast into bronze/

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* Inquires from patrons and cultural institutions wordwide will be welcomed-

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ARTIST STATEMENT

Throughout my years as a fine artist I have always felt that the clay I used, or the paint or the inks that I applied were 'connected' to the spirit at the core of the thing I was trying to interpret visually/artistically. The old barn sitting on the edge of a small wood, the soothsayer with the shadowed face, an avatar briefly glimpsed in the city, the storm calm or fierce blowing across the shoals speaking a foreign tongue, the busied schoolchildren, and the brooding poet, land and faces unfamiliar and sometimes too familiar all have the seeds of spirit of momentous eternities of experience- that is moods, feelings, hurts, joys, loves and connections to this physical place we call Earth.

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What is not immediately seen or studied in all its physical beauty is what I try to discover when I make art- being drawn into that quiet place, the centre, of any living thing on earth and projecting it out again to be seen on the surface with line, colour, shape, is my desire as an artist.

These centres are filled with energies that can sometimes be found by the magic of art and artists. Everyone marvels at this magic when it embodies truth- an universal elixir.

When working on the creation in three-dimensional form, of the artist NORVAL MORRISSEAU, I worked with the clay visually with energies in transmutation. In other words, what we would call perfection of physical form- reflecting the human element from the centres of energies that are unseen physically but connect with our personal cores of being, overwhelming us with expectations of hope, life, desire, strength, accomplishment, and the truth we search for in love with love. This evolves not only from the artist's perspective spiritually, but a joint venture between the subject, NORVAL MORRISSEAU and the sculptor. The sculptor has to understand the impossible, the essence of the life at its core of being a universal spirit-being and being guided intimately in a communi­cation between subject being sculpted and, sculptor. There is no difference between us when we cross this bridge, and an artist will understand this: "We are One".

"All is well, blessings be."

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------Norval Morrisseau--

Susan Murar, Sculptor
BA, MFA, AOCAD

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>>> Reference post:

- Susan Murar about Norval Morrisseau, 
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part I),
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part II),
--/ARTIST STATEMENT/

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part III)
--/HOW THE NORVAL MORRISSEAU WAS SCULPTED?/ &

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part IV)
--/"LEARNING TO CREATE ART THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART"/.-
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Good Friday 2011

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"Indian Jesus Christ", 53"x27", © 1974 Norval Morrisseau
/Click on image to Enlarge/


"I went through a phase of painting Christian religious pictures, but yet I always saw them with the eyes of the Indian. My mind may have been thinking the way the Christians thought in the Byzantine times. My mind perceives the ritchness, the silver, the jewellery and so on, but when I translate the thoughts that are in my mind, when I put them down on paper or on canvas, something different comes out. It's one thing to visualize the Christian figures and another to paint them."
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Norval Morrisseau
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* The acrylic painting on paper in this post: "Indian Jesus Christ", 53"x27", © 1974 Norval Morrisseau ; Collection of Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, Ottawa, Ontario CANADA

Earth Day 2011

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Portrait of Norval Morrisseau (detail) Illustration by Spirit Walker

© Susan Murar; Photography by Lucinda Jones

/Click on image to Enter Susan Murar's website/

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Portrait (White clay): 6'-4" x 3'-6" x 2'-2" (Height x Width x Depth)

Staff (White clay): 3'-10" x 1'-10" x 10" (Height x Width x Depth)

/The portrait has not yet been cast into bronze/

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* Inquires from patrons and cultural institutions wordwide will be welcomed-

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SHAMAN ARTIST-

Norval Morrisseau has not left us, love never leaves, it defines life. He was aware as an artist in this world that the quest and the goal of all life is to reach the pinnacle of understanding the concept of love. The subtext of all his life's work - and he heard it in Spirit - "It is essential that all life respect life". Love. His creations were defined by love. Humankind is in the process of discover­ing the definition of love, and Norval was well aware of this in every cell of his Being. He did everything that was within his powers to move us closer to this understanding, through his paintings.
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He has told us that he is a child of the stars, and he tried to tell us that we too are star children. He demonstrated beautifully, artistically, that there is no balance between spirit life and physical life, there is no contest - the Spirit is always #1. Because of this and he understood this instinctively, joy is our legacy, "wherever joy is, you are". Norval knew this and he gave this to us intimately as "Copper Thunderbird" shaman artist.

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He has not left us, he is here celebrating his gifts to us as we continue to receive them. For generations to come - the joy of his creations will speak to us of this great artist, and we will wonder and certainly rejoice as he was so much a part of us, and we of him. As we are all - always in all ways - he was a messenger.

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"All is well, blessings be."-

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Susan Murar, Sculptor
BA, MFA, AOCAD

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>>> Reference post:

- Susan Murar about Norval Morrisseau, 
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part I),
- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part II),
--/ARTIST STATEMENT/

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part III)
--/HOW THE NORVAL MORRISSEAU WAS SCULPTED?/ &

- The Sculpture of Norval Morrisseau by Susan Murar (Part IV)
--/"LEARNING TO CREATE ART THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR HEART"/.
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Honouring the Great Artists of the World (Part II)

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-Patrick Nagel (1945-1984) /Pop Artist/x
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by Reborninoktober

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Biography:-

Patrick Nagel was born in Dayton, Ohio, but was brought up in the Los Angeles area, where he spent most of his life. He studied art at Chouinard Art Institute, and in 1969 received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University at Fullerton.

Nagel first put his talents to work as a freelance artist; then in 1971, he joined ABC-TV where he produced television graphics for promotion and news broadcasts. After a year, he returned to freelance assignments, accepting commissions from major corporations and magazines, including IBM, ITT, United Artists, MGM, Universal Studios, Playboy, Architectural Digest, Rolling Stone, Oui, and Harpers. The bulk of his work he would end doing for Playboy Magazine.

Beginning in 1976, Nagel began contributing regularly to Playboy, which extended the exposure and popularity of "the Nagel Woman" to a huge and loyal audience. In 1978, he created his first poster image for Mirage Editions. He also painted the cover of rock group Duran Duran's Rio album, which later became a top selling album.

The feeling of Nagel's work is reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints as well as of Art Deco styling, yet it is completely contemporary and universal in appeal. Some compare it to Edouard Manet's "Olympia". Starting from a photograph, he would create a simplified drawing, then translate the drawing to a painting - always "simplifying, working to get more across with fewer elements," noted Elena Millie. Bold, dark lines shape perspective out of flat, cool colours and stark white spaces. In some ways it was similar to Norval Morrisseau's paintings.

During his lifetime, Nagel's work was exhibited in several one-man shows; his first exhibition of painting sold out within fifteen minutes. His posters have been collected by such prestigious institutions as the Library of Congress, the Oakland Museum, and the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts at U.C.L.A. Permanent collections of his work are housed at the Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, and the Smithsonian Institution. The largest collection of his work belongs to Hugh Hefner and resides in the Playboy Mansion. Among the awards Nagel received were recognition by Communication Arts, Art Direction, and Graphis.

Patrick Nagel died of a heart attack in 1984 at the age of 38. He was heading home from exercising. He was known to smoke heavily, drink and eat a lot of fast food. There is also rumours of drug addiction.

Source: The Art History Archive; Contemporary Art - Patrick Nagel
/http://www.lilithgallery.com/arthistory/contemporary/The-Life-and-Art-of-Patrick-Nagel.html/

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>>> Reference post:
- Honouring the Great Artists of the World (Part I).
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Indian Voices (Part I)

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"Uncle Tom-a-hawk and his bushel of Apples"

  /Text used with permission of the author/

Toronto Cartoonist Donato inspired by Norval Morriseau comments artisticly on the recent disclosure of INAC Chiefs outragious salaries
/Click on Image to Enlarge/

INAC Chiefs exploit their own Culture

Published on Sunday, December 12th, 2010

Toronto Sun Cartoonist, Andy Donato inspired by the famous Ojibway artist Norval Morriseau satirically comments on the recent media reports that have disclosed salaries of 82 INAC Band Chiefs by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

A majority of people in the Indigenous community feel that the Chiefs are abusing the imposed Indian Act system and that cartoonist Andy Donato hit below the belt in his recent opinion in Sundays Toronto Sun.

“This is in the Toronto Sun commentary pages today, that piece of garbage newspaper. I’m not in favour of any Chiefs making outrageous salaries while the people most in need go without. But this, this goes too far and mocks an entire culture! Using a Morriseau painting at that.” explains an active First Nations women.

INAC Chiefs advocate for their Sovereignty harping about “Nation to Nation Relationships” while continuing to embrace the Indian Act which is illegally imposed by Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada and breach’s the Canadian Constitution the Royal Proclamation which affirms First Nation’s Sovereignty and Rights.

AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo acknowledged in an interview that many chiefs have come to the conclusion that the best way to respond to the controversy is to provide full disclosure.

“I’ve had a good number of calls from chiefs saying, ‘You know, there’s every reason why we should just confront this directly,’ and they will be bringing a resolution forward,” he said. “In speaking with chiefs, there’s a great concern that the public discussion, the information that’s come out of the [Canadian Taxpayers Federation], has really painted all chiefs with a broad brush. It just isn’t true that all 633 chiefs are corrupt or are receiving pay that isn’t acceptable or are not accountable to their citizens and their communities. It’s just simply not the case.” explained Atleo

Chiefs and their Chief Organizations preach Sovereignty but when threatened by the Canadian Tax Payers or Government they always back down which contradicts our Sovereignty which they are paid substantially well to protect.

Chiefs exploit Sovereignty and Cultural Teachings and Symbols and only seem to use it to for photo opts and to sugar coat funding proposals.

Shawn A-in Chut Atleo is a Herditary Chief of Ahousaht First Nation along with the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. By representing INAC elected system he is dishonoring the authority of his Clan Mothers and responsibility as a Hereditary Chief.

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake are currently exercising their Sovereignty reestablishing their Traditional Governance while Atleo and AFN hide behind their eagle feathers and headdresses. Our Afro American brothers and sisters called this Uncle Tom today we can call this Uncle Tomahawk. This is the real Exploitation of our Culture.

“The Canadian and Quebec Governments are shamefully treating our community like criminals for peacefully protecting our inherent right to govern ourselves according to our customs,” says Tony Wawatie community spokesperson for Barrier Lake. “The Canadian government is attempting to unconstitutionally abolish our traditional leadership selection. They claim imposing this regime is a democratic move, but the overwhelming majority of our community members are opposed and want instead to maintain our own system of government.”

The Six Nations Confederacy, with their Warrior Societies, Hereditary Chiefs and Clan mothers are another one of the few Indigenous Nations in Canada that does not acknowledge AFN, Chiefs Organizations and the Indian Act. They have participated in many Actions that exercises their Sovereignty and never back down from threats by Canada or their Tax Payers.

Andy Donatos cartoon is brilliant. Some in the “aboriginal” community feel he has exploited our culture by mimicking Norval Morrsieaus woodland style of art. However it is just a comment on how Chiefs are the real culprits when it comes to exploiting aboriginal culture.

If First Nations people wish to lash out at this artist we then lash out at our own freedom of speech becoming hypocrites and dictators just like the Chiefs.-

by Johnny Hawke - Ojibway of Chimnissing Anishinabe Territory
     /Anishinabek Confederacy to Invoke Our Nationhood (ACTION)/
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Norval Morrisseau Blog as an instrument in preserving the Legacy of Norval Morrisseau

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Honour the Past... Know the Present... Anticipate the Future-
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"How was it possible for this youth to reach back to the old feelings, to conceive the images that would bear the unmistakable stamp of his people? How could this firm pride originate in a community relegated to the status of third class citizens, constantly reminded of this status and defeated by it? What was there about this lad that earned for him in a medicine woman's dream the combined names of a powerful spirit and the metal traditionally sacred to the Lake Superior Ojibway - Copper Thunderbird?"
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Selwyn Dewdney (1909 - 1979)
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Norval Morrisseau Signature Comparison (Part II)

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>>> Presented below are two paintings and a book, all signed by Norval Morrisseau in 1976...

Exhibit #1

"Artist and Bird Form", acrylic on canvas, 25.5"x20.5",
© 1976 Norval Morrisseau /Click on image to Enlarge/
~ Previously presented at www.woodlandartgallery.ca






























 "Artist and Bird Form" (Verso), acrylic on canvas, 25.5"x20.5",
© 1976 Norval Morrisseau /Click on image to Enlarge/

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Exhibit #2
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"Windigo and Other Tales of the Ojibways"
ISBN: 0-7710-7975-3, © 1969 by Herbert T. Schwartz/Norval Morrisseau;
McClelland and Stewart Limited /Click on image to Enlarge/
~ Purchased by Ugo Matulić a.k.a. Spirit Walker from  "LEVIS Online Auctions"  

A dedication inscribed in "Windigo and Other Tales of the Ojibways"
~ signed by Norval Morrisseau on March 15th, 1976 in Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA /Click on image to Enlarge/

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-Exhibit #3

"Fresh Spirits", acrylic on canvas, 23"x25",
© 1976 Norval Morrisseau /Click on image to Enlage/
~ This painting was previously presented on July 5th, 2008 (click HERE)
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"Fresh Spirits" (Verso), acrylic on canvas, 23"x25",
© 1976 Norval Morrisseau /Click on image to Enlarge/
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INTRODUCTION:

There are many statements by Ritchie R. Sinclair a.k.a. Stardreamer, Coghlan Art Studio & Gallery and Kinsman Robinson Galleries regarding the issue that Norval Morrisseau rarely ever signed and dated backs of the artworks.-

The following are samples of their statements:-

>>> Mr. Ritchie R. Sinclair a.k.a. Stardreamer, who claims to be a long time protege of Norval Morrisseau, said: "I painted with Norval in the 70's, 80's and 90's. I never once saw him sign the back of canvases in black paint. From time to time he would title or sign a painting on the back with pen, pencil and even marker. I'd also like to point out that the "drybrush" look was abhorant to Norval. Instead he required just the right fluidity to his black paint because it was the colour he did "lining" with.

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"Furthermore, I find it absurd that Norval would paint the year on the back of these paintings. He never knew what day, month or year it was, or needed to. Prints required dates, paintings didn't. Everyone who knows Norval knew that it was like 'pulling teeth' to get him to title a painting."

Note: See 'Exhibit #2' clearly showing that Norval Morrisseau dated his dedication on March 15th, 1976 in Winnipeg, Manitoba which was contrary to the statement that "he never knew what day, month or year it was, or needed to".

(click HERE to read this full comment by Ritchie 'Stardreamer' Sinclair in its original context or view screen capture of his statement by clicking HERE).

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>>> Mr. Bryant Ross, who is the gallery director of the Coghlan Art Studio & Gallery, said: "It is a fact that I worked with Morrisseau for over 20 years. During this time I received 100s of paintings directly from him. Not one was signed, dated or titled on the back."

Note: Click HERE to read of Mr. Bryant Ross' contradictions regarding to this statement.

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(click HERE to read this full comment by Mr. Bryant Ross in its original context).-

>>> Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Principal Morrisseau dealer, said: "In twenty-eight years of dealing in Morrisseau's art, I observed that Norval had rarely written anything on the back of any canvas, but when he did, it was always in pencil or ballpoint pen - never in black paint."...

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... Further they say; "And, generally speaking, he didn't title his paintings on the front - rarely on the back side either."

(click HERE & HERE to view screen captures of the KRG's statements).
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Note: It is important to mention that in 1999 and early 2000 co-founder of Kinsman Robinson Galleries (KRG) - Donald C. Robinson, purchased 28 painting at Kahn Auctions, Pickering, Ontario (later called Randy Potter Estate Auction, Port Hope, Ontario) and he openly encouraged other people to buy them and had unsuccessfully bid on another 40 to 60 more paintings from the same auction house - EACH OF THE PAINTINGS WERE SIGNED WITH BLACK PAINT ON CANVAS VERSO AS THE PAINTINGS PRESENTED ABOVE (click HERE for more info and/or click HERE [1] to view samples of other paintings acquired from the same source as these paintings which were purchased by KRG from Kahn Auctions, Pickering, Ontario CANADA).
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[1] - paintings come with Forensic Report by Brian Lindblom, Forensic Document Examiner & Apraisal by Joseph McLeod of Maslak McLeod Gallery - former member of Art Dealers Association of Canada (ADAC).

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SIGNATURE COMPARISON (Items involved)

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From left to right: "Artist and Bird Form", acrylic on canvas, 25.5"x20.5", © 1976 Norval Morrisseau; A book "Windigo and Other Tales of the Ojibways" inscribed by Norval Morrisseau on March 15th, 1976 in Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA & "Fresh Spirits", acrylic on canvas, 23"x25", © 1976 Norval Morrisseau /Click on image to Enlage/
~ These two paintings on canvas were acquired from a private collection of Mr. Rolf Schneiders, Thunder Bay, Ontario CANADA - the same source as paintings that came with Certificates of Authenticity signed by Norval Morrisseau on April 11th, 2002 (click HERE) 


SUMMARY:

From left to right: "Artist and Bird Form", canvas VERSO, 25.5"x20.5", © 1976 Norval Morrisseau (signed with a paint brush); A book "Windigo and Other Tales of the Ojibways" inscribed by Norval Morrisseau on March 15th, 1976 in Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA (signed with a ballpoint pen) & "Fresh Spirits", canvas VERSO, 23"x25", © 1976 Norval Morrisseau (signed with a paint brush) /Click on image to Enlage/
~ Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE to see other artworks painted by Norval Morrisseau in 1976 which come with similar inscriptions


>>> Note the presence of the copyright symbol © and consistency dating the year of execution of the painting with just last two digits preceded with an apostrophe.
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Norval Morrisseau painted his first name in a same fashion as a book inscribed dedication and in Norval Morrisseau's last name the two upper case letters 'R' are painted by him in a same way as in all three signature samples.
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Note the letter ''i'' in Norval Morrisseau's last name and how it is dotted up and to the right of the letter bar's top end. The letter ''i'' is also done in a lowercase script manner and found separated.
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Let us examine the first middle letter S as it appears in Morrisseau's last name. Here we have a most remarkable similarity between the look of this letter and the second Cree syllabic letter that Norval Morrisseau paints onto the fronts of his creations! Did Morrisseau do this consciously or subconsciously? One can only speculate. The syllabics read ''Copper Thunderbird'' on the front of the canvases. The letter S here is always separated in his written signature and Morrisseau painted the letter this way as well. This is a characteristic of his calligraphic style and is seen many times in his written letters on paper and also reflected in his painted signature on the reverse of the canvases he created.
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It is very important to mention that in his last name Norval Morrisseau would always paint the last letter 's' and letter 'e' connected in same fashion as his handwritten form as presented in the painting samples presented in this post.
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These are some of the tell-tale signs of authentic Norval Morrisseau's signature characteristics but there are few variations and inconsistencies that are not addressed in this Norval Morrisseau signature comparison. Note that slight changes in signatures presented in this post are influenced by writing instruments ("paint brush vs. ballpoint pen).

Click HERE for more information on Norval Morrisseau's signing habits/techniques. For novice collectors I strongly recommend reading Mr. Michael Moniz's "Morrisseau Signature Identification Article 101" (Part I).

NOTE: In the 'Norval Morrisseau Signature Study' posts presented on this blog, We are eager to introduce numerous examples from known sources with provenance. We will use letters addressed by Norval Morrisseau/canvases and officially embossed signatures by Norval Morrisseau. As well as serigraphs to analyze Norval Morrisseau's signature as it is found on his artwork. This study is to confirm and introduce to the novice and seasoned collector the many aspects of Norval Morrisseau's caligraphy found painted most often on the reverse and front of his canvases.Signatures on limited edition serigraphs, books and other means of correspondence will also be submitted.-

-~ All readers, collectors and admirers of Norval Morrisseau are invited to share your images (drawings, paintings, newspaper articles and painted objects), handwritten and other documents pertaining to the artistic legacy of Norval Morrisseau to be publicly articled on this blog... for the record.~
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Ugo Matulić a.k.a. Spirit Walker
/spiritwalker2008@gmail.com/-
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>>> Reference posts:
- Norval Morrisseau Genuine Collage,
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Comparison (Part I),
- Norval Morrisseau Conspiracy Unveiled (Part IV),
- Morrisseau History Detective Stories (Part IV),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part I),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part II),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part III),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part IV),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part V),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part VI),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part VII),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part VIII),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part IX),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part X),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part XI),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part XII),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part XIII),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part XIV),
- Norval Morrisseau Signature Study (Part XV),
- "Morrisseau Signature Identification Article 101" (Part I) &
- Understanding Art of Norval Morrisseau (Part I).

 ~ Both of the paintings presented above where acquired from a private collection of Mr. Rolf Schneiders, Thunder Bay, Ontario CANADA.
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