** Currently available through the Federation Gallery - sales@artists.ca
 
TITLE: Swimming Otter
 
ARTIST: Michelle Thevenot
 
MATERIALS: Spruce wood, stone, metal, sealer
 
DIMENSIONS (H x W x D): 17 x 17 x 17 inches
 
YEAR: 2023
 
ARTIST STATEMENT:
 
"Swimming Otter" is a wood sculpture carved from a rare, looping spiral wood formation discovered in the boreal forest of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The stone base and wood were both sourced from a riverbank that's home to river otters.
 
I found this mysterious piece of wood while cross country skiing near the Torch River. As I paused to soak in the calm, grounding energy of my surrounding tree friends, a curious sight caught my attention.
 
A nearby dead standing spruce tree had this unusual growth where the trunk formed a loop. Using a folding hand saw from my backpack, the treasure was harvested. Intuitively, I knew it was meant to be transformed.

I asked the wood what it was meant to be. I peered through the hole in the center. I studied the wood's natural features. Thus began the Swimming Otter sculpture.
 
I was reminded of kayaking in the river the previous season. A river otter swam beside me and our eyes met for a special moment of curiosity and consideration of each other. With a graceful swirl, it dove beneath the water, and surfaced again - showing off its lithe aquatic acrobatics. Moments like that make you hold your breath with awe and wonder. That feeling of connection with wildlife is the epitome of nature experiences.
 
I carved the wood with a subtle and gentle approach that intrigues and invites you to take a closer look. I allowed the natural formations guide the placement and flow of the otter’s characteristics. It was a co-creation between nature and artist to enhanced the natural sculpted form.
 
It suddenly became clear the purpose for a stone I’d mysteriously felt drawn to last fall at the very same riverbank and carried back to camp - the base for the Swimming Otter.
 
The hole in the middle of the wood appears as a portal to look through and see the world through a new perspective of nature's beauty, wonder, and mysterious spirit that flows through wild spaces and ourselves.