Tori Sutton
Staff Reporter

In the living room of sculptor Susan Murar’s quaint and colourful apartment, a large, stark figure pops from a black backdrop.

The recently completed sculpture of the Picasso of the North, native artist Norval Morrisseau – still awaiting its final bronze cast – looms over the Murar.

“I’ve always admired Norval Morrisseau’s work,” she said, gazing into the sculpture’s wide eyes. “He has really affected me.”

For about a year before Morrisseau’s death in 2007, Murar had been searching for the perfect subject for a large-scale portrait sculpture.

When the acclaimed artist died of cardiac arrest in Toronto General Hospital that December, Murar instinctively knew she had found exactly what she was looking for.

“When he died, I thought that’s it, that’s it … he’s the one,” she says.

That started a two year journey for Murar – former owner of the Stratford Brass Rubbing Museum and Gallery – which included plenty of research into Morrisseau’s work.

However, she stayed away from the artist’s often tumultuous life, instead choosing to focus solely on Morrisseau the artist, rather than the person.

“The work he created will be around for centuries to come and that’s how I wanted to portray him as the artist, not taking into consideration the smallness we all have in our lives,” she said.

“Everyone has a core of hope and promise, and it’s connected to your heart and your spirit being. If you know that about yourself you can go over a bridge and find it in somebody else.”

After immersing herself in his work for so long, she feels a special bond with the Ojibway artist.

“I feel I’m connected to him, spirit wise,” she said.

The sculpture itself shows Morrisseau morphing into Copper Thunderbird – a name by which he was also known – holding a shaman staff. Images of sacred bears, turtles, feathers, stars and energy lines used in the sculpture were all directly influenced by Morrisseau’s work.

“There is nothing in this whole sculpture that is not him and I wanted to honour him in that way,” she said.

However, there were several changes to the piece as she found her way. Originally, she had encorporated bear claws before casting aside the idea, as the claws were not featured in his work.

She had originally sculpted his lower half transforming into the thunderbird, something she also reconsidered.

“The whole bottom had feet and tail feathers, but it was just a bit much,” she said. “It took two or three months to work on the bottom but it was scrapped.”

With help from MP Gary Schellenberger, arrangements had been made to showcase the piece at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Unfortunately, Murar was not able to complete the sculpture in time.

Though she’s not yet certain exactly where the piece will end up, she created as a gift to the Canadian people, a give of love from one artist to another, she said.

“I’m honouring his gift to the people of the world,” Murar said.

She knows it needs to be in a place where it is accessible to First Nations people. The sculpture was designed so that when a parent holds a child in their arms for a closer look, the child is eye-to-eye with Morrisseau.

And when the statue is unveiled, it must be to the sound of drums.

“For that will give the life of the heart of the people,” she said.