Collages1

Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts in Pendleton, OR
gathers 80 artists for MONOTHON

Crow's Shadow Art Institute is located on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in a unique rural setting at the very foothills of the Blue Mountains. It made art history in Eastern Oregon by holding the first monothon to be held here on Nov. 16-18.

What's a monothon? To answer that, it's important to understand what a monotype is - a one-of-a-kind print made by painting on a smooth plate and then printed onto paper.

More than 80 artists gathered at Crow's Shadow beginning the morning of Nov. 9. Working in shifts all day Friday and Sunday as well as part of Sunday, they created a series of monotypes. The prints were then sold to the public beginning at noon Sunday.

The list of artists held some impressive names. Among them were James Lavadour, Phillip Charette, Marie Watt, Joe Fedderson, Ric Gendron,George Flett, Richard SkyHawk. The artists were essentially donating their work to Crow's Shadow as the art institute attempts to raise money to send a delegation to an exhibit it's mounting in New Zealand at the Biennale of International Arts Festival.

Some of the monotypes created by SkyHawk are presented below.

Sun prayer 1/2 2007

Healing feathers 4/5 2007

Coyote tracks

Self portrait

For more information, visit www.crowsshadow.org

Monothon reflections Nov.2007

For many this Crows Shadow Monothon 2007 event was a natural reaction to their world of creating images and/or both experiencing printmaking on another level. For me it was a chance ( I mean chance in the odds of being in the right place at the right time, to relish in a shared moment of syncronicity in many guises ). I thought my muse was dead or by most accounts abandoned me in some wet dark alley way in New York in the freezing cold...

I've been given more chances than most men deserve to recall my muse from her perch on the Notre Dame in Paris. She hides in the shadows of the north wind. This is why most tourists never see her glaring down and spiing on them, with her wings tempting to silk across the noisy haze of air. My muse has returned! Fly on wings!

As you may have read in www.skyhawkfireheart.com "Gateway to Hell" I have been thru much to still have the fates looking over me and carrying me into another day for their amusement. While taking my sails across the seven seas with direction and purpose. The purpose? To continue to create art to leave a trail of some distinct legacy. You might say I am easily amused. The Travel Channel or any transmitted imagery just doesn't do it for me. Food without taste buds while touring the world's restaurants is your micro wave popcorn with you on a couch and the remote control. You rule tasteless butter.

All right, all right. The whole point of what I was going to say before I started running into this tagent. The monothon gave me a chance to be among artists whether beginner weekend warriors I like to call them or the semi to professional. You can call me someone who is just passionate at whatever I do. The creative process intrigues me sometimes more than the end product when it comes to making art. Which was a great therapeutic effect on my psychic pursuit of returning to my first love. The aromas of inks and cleaning materials and the ambiance of the surrounding Indian Country or land of my Umatilla Confederated Native peoples was trying to escape thru my mind's eyes and hands. The earth, the ancient bones and the living balance of nature whispered in my ear. Welcome back my son...you're among friends my grandson...

For all of you who were there at Crows Shadow Monothon November 2007 I thank you...

Richard MoonChild SkyHawk