March 1997 / Planet of the Arts 11 Peter George My name is Peter George Jr. from the Carrier tribe. | am glad | took Emily Carr Institute’s First Year Program. Nora’s colour class taught me more about the need to carefully take my time mixing the colours that not only dance but sing. Drawing Gerta in Judy Davis’ 2D/3D class was my first attempt at sketching a live model. The ever present smell of sea salt fills the air. At the Granville Island Market | once noticed something moving between the rocks. It was a rat as big as a cat. In animation | put my cat on video and added the rat as a wind-up toy that goes by the cat and the cat doesn’t do anything but smoke and drink coffee through a straw. Not until this year did | decide to put a painting of Poor Boose into an art show. All my life my sisters and | had a cat roaming the house. | noticed part of the cat’s ear was torn from what | thought was a fight with other cats. | added the headband draped over one ear with a design | remembered from grade three. We were taught loom-bead work. The name Poor Boose came from my father who often was up early feeding the cat and he’d say “Poor Boose.” If anyone of us kids wanted the cat home all we had to do was shake the cat food box like a rattle and see the cat come running far off in the dis- tance. ; A few winters ago in Prince George my nephew Garrett was in the hospital very sick with meningitis. | went to visit him. Things like this would make anyone cry. | had my sketchbook with me and | drew different items around the room and asked my nephew as | pointed to a drawing of an object “Where is that?” | watched him slowly glance around and point to the silver plumbing fixtures under the sink and I'd say “right.” Then afterwards we'd watch a Donald Duck cartoon together. | went to visit my old high school and | showed my sketch- books to the students. It was good to see some of the teach- ers that | had when | was going there. About a month later my mother gave me a few sketchbooks and some pencils. The school sent me a fifty dollar cheque and my mother sur- prised me with those art supplies. | was happy to visit the school and share my art. To me | was fine with the hamburg- er at lunch which was payment enough. My name is Peter George Jr. from the Carrier tribe. On Granville Street while | was at a pay phone | noticed a woman looking at me for the longest time. | thought she was waiting for the phone. Then she explained the totem pole pencil, sunset, and a side profile of myself | had painted on the back of my jean jacket. I’d forgotten | had on my coat. A lot of times | travel the bus to school and the painting is for the people on the bus who don’t have time to see art. | somehow made it through four years. There aren’t too many of my First Nations people going to Emily Carr. One student came and asked if | was related to Chief Dan George. As soon as he found out | wasn’t he quickly walked away. Another thing people assume is that | am a carver when | mention that | am an artist. In my second year the school had a First Nations counsellor, a Mr Faircrest. Before that there was a Chinese counsellor who looked after every student. | gave her a sunset painting to hang in her office and when she moved on to another job | found the painting in the garbage can. So | reclaimed it and gave it to someone else to enjoy. Then came Terri Willie who was more like a mother and a counsellor. In January 1995 six First Nations students at Emily Carr Institute had a show in the Concourse Gallery. This was the first time | was able to show my paintings with other First Nations people. | sold my “Uncle’s House” (a woodstove and old-styled windows and a clothesline that hung above the stove) for four canvases. And the second painting | sold to a cousin whose sister was to receive an award from the Aboriginal Achievement Awards. | like to paint in oil, acrylic and watercolours. | make small cards of my art and look for people to give them to. There’s a lot of unhappy people in the world and all | try to do is change their lives for at least a day. Art has kept me away from trouble. As | close I'd like to thank the people who I've touched with my art. To me it’s just as good as a hug. If there’s any purpose for me in this life it has to be the creation of art. If you have art, the rest will fall into place. <@s The Nadleh Whut’en reserve where | grew up. March 1997 / Planet of the Arts 11 Peter George My name is Peter George Jr. from the Carrier tribe. lam glad 1 took Emily Car Insitute’ First Year Program. "Nora's colour clas taught me more about the need to ‘carefully take my time mixing the colours that not only ‘ance but sing, Drawing Gerta in Judy Davis 20/20 class was iny first attempt at sketching alive model The ever present smell of Sea salt fils the ar. At the Grane sland Market I once noticed something moving between the rocks. It was a rat a5 big a a cat. In animation | put my cat on video and added the rat as a wind-up toy that ‘oes by the cat and the cat doesnt do anything but smoke land drink coffee through a straw. Not until ths year did | ecide to put a painting of Poor Boose into an art show. All my life my sisters and t had a cat roaming the house. noticed part ofthe cat's ear was torn from what | thought was a fight with other cats. l added the headband draped ‘ver one ear with a desig I remembered from grade three. \We were taught loom-bead work. The name Poor Boose came from my father who often was up ealy feeding the ‘at and he'd say "Poor Boose." If anyone of us kids wanted the cat home al we had to do was shake the cat food box like a rattle and see the cat come running far off in the ds- A few winters ago in Prince George my nephew Garrett ‘as in the hospital ver sick with meningitis. ! went to visit "im. Things like this would make anyone cry. had my sketchbook with me and I drew different items around the oom and asked my nephew as | pointed to a drawing of an ‘object "Whereis that?” | watched him slowly glance around {and point to the slvr plumbing fixtures under the sink and Fr say “right.” Then afterwards we'd watch a Donald Duck ‘cartoon together. ‘went f0 visit my old high school and I showed my sketch- books to the students It was good to see some of the teach rs that! had when | was going there. About a month later iy mother gave me a few sketchbooks and some pencils The school sent me a fifty dollar cheque and my mother sur ‘rised me with those art supplies. | was happy to visit the Scho and share my art. To me I was fine with the hamburg ler at lunch which was payment enough. My name is Peter George Jr. from the Carrier tribe. (On Granville Street while | was at a pay phone | noticed 3 ‘woman looking at me forthe longest time. | thought she ‘was waiting forthe phone. Then she explained the totem pole pencil sunset, and a side profile of myself 1 had painted fn the back of my jean jacket.’ forgotten | had on my ‘oat. A lot of times I travel the bus to school and the painting i for the people on the bus who don't have time to | Somehow made it through four years. There aren't too ‘many of my First Nations people going to Emily Car. One ‘Student came and asked i | was related to Chief Dan George. [As so0n as he found out | wasn't he quickly walked away ‘Another thing people assume is that | am 3 carver when | ‘mention that | am an arts. n my second year the school had 23 Fist Nations counsellor, a Mr Fatcrest. Before that there ‘was a Chinese counsellor who looked after every student. | ‘ave her a sunset painting to hang inher office and when She moved on to anther job I found the painting in the MTCY ‘garbage can, So I reclaimed it and gave it to someone ele 10 enjoy. Then came Teri Wile who was more like a mother land a counsellor. In January 1995 sx Fist Nations students at Emily Corr Institute had a show in the Concourse Gallery. This was the first time | was able to show my paintings with other Fist Nations people. | sold my “Uncle's House” (a woodstove and ‘old-syled windows and a clothesline that hung above the ‘stove) forfour canvases. And the second painting 1 501d to @ cousin whose sister was to receive an award from the ‘Aboriginal Achievement Awards, Tike to paint in ol, acrylic and watercolours. | make small ‘ards of my art and look for people to give them to. There's ‘Tot of unhappy people in the world and al try to do ‘ange their ives for at least a day. Arthas kept me away ‘rom trouble. As I close I'd like to thank the people who I’ve touched with my art. ‘To me its just as good as a hug. If there's any purpose for me in this life it has to be the creation of at. Ifyou have art the rest wil fall into place. ®