Title: Blood Red Moon

Artist: Colleen Gray

Tribal Affiliation: Mi'kmaq/Acadian/Irish

Year Completed: 2022

Medium: Ink on synthetic paper, Unframed

Dimensions (HxWxD): 25.5 x 4"

Description/Inspiration:

Story: When our Mother the Earth was newly born, the stars crashed into her body, lifting a piece of her to the sky where it became the moon. When Grandmother Moon shines her light on the mountains, they sing together of a time when they too were newly born.

Artist Bio/Statement:

Colleen Gray is an Indigenous artist of Mi'kmaq, Acadian and Irish descent living in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Colleen grew up along the Petawawa River in Ontario, Canada. In 2019 she was awarded the Governor General of Canada's Sovereign Medal for Volunteering for her efforts with Art for Aid (www.artforaid.ca), a grassroots initiative that sees remote Indigenous schools receiving donated art supply shipments. Colleen sells her original art to generate a personal income, but creates beautiful art products that she sells to help fuel the demanding shipping and operations budget of her project.

Colleen's art medium of choice is ground mineral watercolour paint on synthetic paper. The remarkable use of earth-based minerals in the paint give dynamic and fluid emotion to her work. The paintings often contain subtle yet visible "spirits" embedded in the nooks and crannies of the painting that give each viewer a unique perspective when looking at her work. Colleen's work is influenced by her understanding of Indigenous culture gained through working with her Cree Elder (Thunderchild Reserve, Saskatchewan) and community over the past 20 years with her focus highlighting the spiritual mystery of the Indigenous belief system. Each painting comes with a story that helps to convey her understanding and acquired knowledge and it is an integral part of the work.

Please note:

Shipping within the U.S. & Canada is included in the purchase price. Sales tax and an additional 4% + $2.00 per item will be applied to the entire transaction to cover taxes, credit card processing, and other fees.