One of my fondest memories living in the north is of the Yukon Storytelling festival.
When a friend suggested attending, I had visions of Uncle Henry delivering a rambling ‘ big fish’ tale onstage.
A karaoke for talkers.
I couldn’t have been more inaccurate.

The seeds for the festival sprouted in the 1980’s when one of the Yukon’s last Tagish speakers shared her stories to a global audience in Toronto.
The Yukon Storytelling festival began in 1988, growing to include storytellers from all over the world, with an emphasis on First Nation and circumpolar countries.
Mountain Mist- Oil on Canvas

The festival hosts professional ‘tellers’, who are as diverse as the crowd. Stories range in mythical or true events, often moving, educational, or funny.
Visualize sort of an outdoor inspirational Ted Talk, without the big screen and cushy seats.

Perched on a grassy knoll under a canvas tent that balmy summer evening, captivated, we witnessed inspiring flawlessly performed stories.
The event had a wonderful ancient primitive pull to how we shared stories in the past, gathered in tents or caves, around campfires, or in Grandma’s kitchen.

Stories weave us together in history. A powerful educational tool, stories are an evolving tapestry of society and culture.

Art began before the written word, as a form of communication, sharing stories, myths & legends.
Painting in it’s own right is still an amazing conduit of connection, a story without words, inviting the viewer to participate.
MK, a young author wrote recently “I like to look in your paintings and see if I can find my stories there, with my characters just out of sight.”

Technology has changed the way we tell stories.
Grandma’s kitchen table may be void of interactive family discussions, hosting individuals on their personal electronic devices.
What stories are we sharing? Are we engaged?
A friend said’ I filled my mind with junk’, after she realized she had spent an entire afternoon on you tube and FB.
Exclaiming, “I suddenly questioned, what did I learn? I had filled my mind with irrelevant clutter”.

While on an expedition of the boreal, renown explorers and photojournalists the McGuffin’s shared fascinating stories at camp.
Dawn and Joanie- boreal 2011- photograph Julia Hargreaves
Joanie’s vivid writing with Gary’s incredible photography capture the wilderness essence. They have published 7 books on their explorations, many which included their daughter Sila.
The quiet forest surrounding us, our small group would relax in the evening dusk and talk.
Joanie’s animated colourful descriptions brought their wilderness adventures to life. I was in awe of her keen mind and ability to recount such detail.
A skill developed from being entirely present in moments as they unfold.

Art is about paying attention. ~ Laurie Anderson

Painting requires engagement and focus free from chaos.
It’s in the act of being present, time stands still, noise silences.
Creation is born of experience & emotion.
In completion, the painting becomes the viewer’s story.
The oldest form of storytelling of all time.

New in the Studio~
Forest 9×12 Oil on board
Field 6×8 Oil on Board
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To purchase the artwork, please email me at dawn@dawnbanning.com. Prices will increase in Sept.
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