Written by Water Project

Written by Water
If I hadn’t forgotten my sheet music, I’m not sure Written by Water would exist. In 2019, shortly
after purchasing my first ever harp, I applied and was accepted to the Bridge and Falls Creative
Residency in Sioux Narrows. My application was simple; all I wanted to do was spend a week
on the water practicing. After 20 years of being a singer I had discovered a deep love for the
harp and wanted to incorporate it into my performance life. I began performing with the harp
within a month of beginning to play but really needed time to sit down with the instrument and
get it “under my fingers.” And then there I was, sitting on a dock with a harp, with the wrong
music binder. All I had with me were a few pieces and a few musical sketches of songs I had
thought of someday writing. I could have driven the 45 minutes back to Kenora, but I didn’t, and
that was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
A week later I returned to Kenora with the first music I had written beyond one song and
assignments from my music theory days in University. Teresa and I met for a swim, (a regular
occurrence for us), and I told her about my music. She decided right then and there “I’m going
to paint that.” We decided to apply for an Ontario Arts Inter Arts grant, and in March of 2020 we
were delighted to discover our proposal had been accepted.
Teresa and I spent the next several months trading pictures and sound clips. We worked
independently and made several trips together to various lakes. When we found something
needed to be added, we created something new. The Bridge and Falls Residencies were on
hold in 2020 and I was very graciously given the use of the little artist’s studio on the dock
where I had first written this music. I came home with an album’s worth of material and after
some time in the studio with Wayne Kelso, we had recorded it.
Teresa and I decided early on that our work would be "reciprocal inspiration”. We shared our
ideas freely during the creative process and made sure the album and paintings reflected each
other without the constraints of each painting having to correspond to a song, or vice versa. 
We also made requests of each other. For instance, Teresa mentioned she would like several
pieces that were instrumental only, as she prefers to paint to music without lyrics. I asked her for painting of waterlilies, as I had been surrounded by them in Sioux Narrows. She even made the trip out to visit me in Sioux Narrows to see “my” waterlilies. This way, neither of us was lead on
the project.
My collaborations with Teresa began after she saw me in TryLight Theatre’s production of “The Marriage of Figaro.” She asked if she could paint my voice – how could I say no to such an
interesting project? Later we discovered our shared and sacred connection to water. Our works
together are a love letter to the waters of Northwestern Ontario.

- Olivia Whiddon 2023