Our local Village Hall in Smailholm is hosting a curated art show on 3rd – 4th October – an exhibition of 3D art on the theme of “water”.
Local artists have been invited to submit a sculptural piece. Each entry has been assessed by a panel for inclusion in the exhibition.
There will also be delicious food available throughout the weekend.
During July and August I have been busy in Studio Hundy creating a sculptural piece for the show that uses “reconfigured” books and sheet music. It retells the North American first nation story “Raven returns the water“. First published by Anne Cameron in 1987, it predates our current concerns about climate change and yet is extremely prescient.
Water is central to the story which touches on themes of despair, greed, non-violent negotiation, self-realization, forgiveness, hope and resolution. 7 scenes from the story have been depicted in the sculpture.
Story synopsis
All the water of the world has disappeared and Raven goes searching for it. She finds it, all of it, in the belly of a giant frog who does not believe in sharing. But it doesn’t take long for Raven to teach Frog a lesson and get the water back!
my 3d sculpture
With a background in therapeutic art, I often used stories in my work. Here, I wanted to use the medium of paper (books and musical scores), together with this myth, to highlight the delicate balance water plays in all our lives. After all, as Raven reflects…..”water is life, and without clean water, nothing can live “.
Scroll through the slide show to see the overall sculpture and the 7 scenes.
It all started when water disappeared ….. 
Scene 1 – Raven flew to the creek and found it dry, to the river and found it dry, to the lake and found it dry. 
Scene 2 – Raven was so thirsty, she put a round, smooth pebble under her tongue and swallowed her own saliva 
Scene 3 – Raven found the last green valley on earth. In the middle of the valley, sound asleep, a giant frog, her belly swollen and distended. Raven tiptoed to the giant frog and sipped the water which had fallen from the frog’s mouth 
Scene 4 – Frog awoke – “it’s MY water you are drinking”, she croaked. Raven dropped the little stone from under her tongue. Mistaking it for a drop of water, Frog pulled the stone into her mouth and swallowed it 
Scene 5 – “Oh my, my stomach hurts” croaked Frog. “I think you have overexteneded yourself” Raven said gently. Frog pleaded with Raven to help her bellyache. So Raven poked Frog in the belly and a gush of water emerged, landed on the ground, and flowed away, becoming a river 
Scene 6 – Raven rolled the escaping water up like a dance cape and tucked it under her wing. Drops fell from the blanket of water and refilled the lakes and streams 
Scene 7 – To this day you may see Raven sitting high in the branches of a tree and Frog sits on a rock on the bank of a pond or lake, or in a quiet stream, her throat swelling with the promise that she will never again take all the water
SOURCE MATERIAL
RAVEN returns the WATER by Anne Cameron
Illustrated by Nelle Olsen
Published by Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd 1987
ISBN 0-920080-19-7
In the preface to the 1987 edition Cameron explains:
When I was growing up in Vancouver Island I met a woman who was a storyteller. She shared many stories with me, and later, gave me permission to share them with others.
This woman’s name was KLOPINUM. In English her name means “Keeper of the River of Copper.” It is to her this book is dedicated , and it is in the spirit of sharing, which she taught me, these stores are offered to all small children. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
And the story concludes:
When Frog heard the sound of Raven’s cry, she realized what she had almost done and she felt sorry for her greediness. She climbed up on the rock. She croaked “sor-ry, sor-ry” and all of creation forgave her.
Raven returns the Water. Anne Cameron 1987
And Raven calls to her often as she flies overhead. “Rock”, she calls and if you listen carefully you will hear her.
So if you are in the Scottish Borders on the weekend of 3rd & 4th Oct 2026, come alone to Smailholm Village Hall to see the 24 three dimensional exhibits and enjoy the home baking. The Village Hall – Home
My partner Clare and myself shared our recent creative processes at a small Open Studio event in August this year. Plays were performed, words were literally woven, stories were threaded together and Studio Hundy opened its doors exhibiting a series of 4 artworks, “memory fragments” created out of paper.
