Natural Art Materials (Anong Beam)
one artist’s palette from Beam Paints (Instagram photo)
Paint maker Anong Beam creates watercolor pigments from materials gathered in Anishinaabe lands, as well as highlighting pigments from other paint traditions. The connection to the land in her craft is clear. Anong Beam told AllCreation, “I have a rich tapestry of faith myself.”
Beam Paints ~ Beam Paints Instagram
Beam Paints is the result of a multi-generational love of pigment, paint, colour, and innovation. I was raised by my artist parents, Carl Beam and Ann Beam, and was taught from a young age how to harvest hematite pigment in the LaCloche mountain range near our home in M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island. Beam Paints draws on my early educations in Indigenous pigment and expands it to encompass all paint traditions. - Anong Beam
video: Beam demonstrating use of her pigments, painting a turtle shell
video - painting a turtle shell
Anong Beam demonstrates the use of her paint stones with her Mother Earth palette
Silver and Gold Birch Mini from Beam Paints
Beam collects pigments from hematite and other minerals.
As I drive around in the summer with my boys, and a car with rock hammers and buckets, we jump out at rockcuts, explore gravel pits and the edges of construction. - from artist profile in SNAPline
The paints are made with pigment, tree sap, gum and local Manatoulin Island honey, and packaged in canvas, and locally-harvested birch and cedar.
This piece is part of our series, Inspired by Beauty.
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