This story began only a few short months ago, during
the period of social and physical distancing. After
months of isolation, the only safe places where my
wife and I could meet our 4 year old granddaughter
was in places like the Cherry Beach Park.

On one of those walks she found a piece of dry bark and asked me:
– “Grandpa, could you make something out of this?”
– “Yes.” I answered.
– “What would you like me to make for you?”
– “A reindeer.”

And so a reindeer was born. Or should I say, re-born. As coincidence would have it, when my daughter was young I invented a bedtime story for her starring a reindeer—and not an ordinary reindeer, a green-haired one. Here is an excerpt from that story:

“In a country far away (or very close just around the corner) there was a reindeer living in a place where nobody liked him. People chased him away, nobody wanted his company. He wandered, pondering why until one day walking by a lake he noticed his reflection. The reindeer had green hair, hair like nobody else."

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"Green haired raindeer accepted the lake as his best friend. Almost every day
he was walking along the shores, soon he started swimming and even diving.
At first he was surprised that he was not having difficulties breathing under
the water.
...
Under the surface of the lake, the reindeer noticed a beautiful underwater town.
He dove down to get a better look. The people of the town looked just like him,
but also nothing like him. Many had green hair and others hair of various
colours. They greeted him with smiles and he felt happy and free.
...
Now ahead of them lay a task, to transfer that sense of mutual acceptance to
others, above the lake’s surface. To explain to them that THE RIGTH TO BE
DIFFERENT is basic human right."

In our physically distant present, interactions with public art and each
other require a distance, but I hope that we can bridge these gaps by
engaging with nature and using display where my creations can be
explored without being present in the physical space and interaction
with other art enthusiasts.

Through the use of natural, recycled materials, I am creating minimal or no
waste in the production of multiple toys and instead honour the potential
found in organic materials all around us.

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