Drawing on Animal Spirit
Growing up in the McKenzie River area of Oregon, Jane
Hoefler always loved nature and excelled in art. After being
commissioned in 1994 by Native Americans to draw Totem
Animals, Jane and her husband Michael were guided to the
Bitterroot Valley in October 1997, where Jane now creates
powerful drawings of Totem Animals from her studio
Awakenings.
Each original piece entails at least sixty hours of work
and combines Jane's creative vision and technical skill,
allowing her to capture the animal's energy. To create her
storyboard, Jane photographs animals and backgrounds
whenever possible. Her drawing technique is based on sound
understanding of highlights, texture, and the right
material. She "sculpts on paper", using black watercolor
paper and focusing on highlights, making color the final
thing - a reverse process.
The work is intense, and Jane draws only two hours at a
time. Although not quite as delicate as pastels, colored
pencils allow no margin of error. Her recent drawing 'Horse'
took more than two months to complete. She was guided to do
this noncommissioned piece showing four horses, one of each
color, symbolizing many things including multiple races "all
running freely in harmony together."
Jane's husband Michael, a dowser, works with Jane
energetically on each drawing. "Jane captures the spirit,
the essence of the animal's medicine," he says. "I enjoy
double checking the energetic reflection of an animal for
her as a particular drawing progresses."
Jane has completed many Totem Animals and has two works
in progress. Each print includes a story describing the
symbolic power of the Totem Animal and details about the
original drawing.
Jane's current brochures contain a complete list of her
work.
*Excerpt from an article written by Jennifer Laing
