What happened on Thursday December 5th?

December is beginning to be a very shitty month for me. My heroes are dying. On Saturday it will be 27 years since John Lennon was shot outside the Dakota in New York. It has been almost 5 years since Joe Strummer passed away from a heart attack.

Now, one of my favorite painters has died from Parkinson's Disease. Norvel Morriseau is dead. His work is vibrant, colourful and powerful. I felt the link to the earth in what he painted. He introduced the world to what is called the "Woodlands Style" of work. In my opinion, he tried to show people Canada as it is in our hearts not in our eyes. I was a "wannabe" because of his work. I wanted to be a artist, I tried my hand at paintings in the woodlands style, I loved how the work would flow from my hands, expressing my feelings without having to speak. I wanted to be a native Canadian. I wanted to study art because of Norvel. I want to thank him for over 30 years worth of dreams. I know his life wasn't easy, I know that he didn't make life easy for some of the people around him, but I hope they remember him for his love and not his mistakes. Take a few minutes to read about the life of Norvel, take a couple of hours to see his work. Go to a local gallery, here in the GTA you can head up to Klienburg to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and spend a few hours viewing not only Norvel's work, but also the work of some other exceptional Canadian artists.

Enjoy his work, and celebrate a life.