The crow’s body I felt, had to be as accurate in biological structure as I could make it. I began forming flight feathers and tried a 1/6 vertical section of a plastic straw to form the spine/quill of the feather. Originally, I had thought this would need to remain, but when the dried “feather” was pulled up from the support it came away, leaving a distinct quill-like ridge down the centre. I had used white glue to adhere the straw to the silk which left a glossy, raised spine – a fortuitous accident that worked!
At the same time Barbara and I were out in the Region of Niagara photographing various historic cemeteries to find graves that gave us a broad cross-section of people who had lived in Niagara from early settlement and through Confederation – 1867. From the early United Empire Loyalists of the late 18th century who left the US to escape persecution and to remain loyal to the British crown – no doubt also to seek prosperity in a new land that offered opportunity on through the 19th century. Later Loyalists were especially among the late Loyalists of the early part of the 1800’s. We found British (English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh), European (German, Italian, Dutch, Slavic and others), African slaves who followed the “Underground Railroad” into Canada from the US and Chinese who came as labourers to build railways and other infrastructure.
Below are the completed compositions ready for printing. Background merging would be completed once the images were printed. We used 100% cotton sheeting with no treatment before or after printing. Our company was Custom Signs & Graphics http://www.niagaracustomsigns.com/ located in Niagara Falls, Ontario. They were very accommodating, professional and prices within our budget.
As well, we determined that a great part of this vision must pay tribute to the First Nations. Our early research took us to Centennial Park in Grimsby where 373 Neutral bodies had been uncovered in the 1970’s. A mass grave, along with various artefacts, was formed in the park and a plaque erected by the Federal Government to acknowledge their burial grounds. This photography would form a section beneath the left wing of the crow. Under the right wing we would place a tribute to the Anishnabeg and 5 Nations Iroquois whose bodies were uncovered during the excavations for the Fort Erie Peace Bridge in the late 20th century. The Mewinzha (long time ago) Archeological Museum was erected to house artefacts; however there was no mention of the people in the museum. We travelled to the nearby Fort Erie Native Centre where we were given information and were able to locate the burial site at Fort Erie. The clan symbols that we photographed at the Museum were composed to form a “banner” beneath the burial mound.
This was not the only evidence of First Nations burials in Niagara. As well we looked at the St. David’s site (outskirts of NOTL); however there was only a Cairn to acknowledge over 300 burials that had been uncovered in the early part of the 20th Century. There was also undocumented evidence of burials in the now St. Marks church cemetery in NOTL. Anecdotal stories tell of this site having originally been First Nations. Elizabeth Kerr, niece of Joseph Brant (War of 1812 Mohawk ally to the British) was the first gravestone to have been erected in the cemetery. It was in an older section where the ground was very uneven and mounded. Our travels also took us to Fort Chippewa where there is a plaque to commemorate the Mohawk warriors who fought with the British in the War of 1812. The re-enactment employee who helped us with research informed us that a plaque is to be unveiled at Queenston Heights in early October of 2016/this year acknowledging Chief John Norton’s Mohawk warriors who fought with Sir Isaac Brock and General Roger Hale Sheaffe after Brock’s his death.
As we worked on our research, I laid out the feathers of the crow, made more and began the centrepiece of the crow which was to represent the centre of the Region and the heart of the crow. These images document the quilting process and transformation from the printed composition to the completed insert.
As we have now begun the “hands on” section, I will add a new page to the blog to allow you to follow this stage of the project.
