Logan Soeder (aka Lolo) is a trans-masculine, queer identified white settler living on the Halidmand Tract (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada). They use a variety of mediums to create their work. Logan’s preferred medium is watercolour, but they also enjoy painting in acrylics, either on site in nature (En plein air) or by using my watercolours/drawings as a guide for larger works. They love the forest, children’s illustration, and web comics.
As Guest Curator at Minds Eye Studio Art Gallery and Yoga Studio, I am pleased to present Little Blue Fox and Finch - Tea With the Stream, a solo exhibition of Logan’s work at the gallery from late September to October 22nd. Private viewings are available, and the artist reception will be on September 29th from 7:30-10 pm. Event info is here.
Exhibition statement:
The Exhibition by Lolo (Logan Soeder) is called “Little Blue Fox and Finch - Tea With the Stream.” This is an amalgamation of 32 carefully selected watercolour concept art pieces created by Lolo over 10 years (2013-2023). Some of the art features animal characters painted in bold watercolour earth tones on cotton or tree fibre paper. The illustrations were inspired by local nature spaces in the Waterloo Region and surrounding land. Some of the pieces depict Huron Natural Area, Laurel Creek Conservation Area, the Grand River trailway, and Elora Gorge Conservation Area. This exhibition by Illustrator Lolo (Logan Soeder) and reception performance by Métis singer and songwriter, Eric Jackson, is a celebration of many years creating the world of Fox and Finch. During the reception, Eric performs a draft version of his song, “Tea With the Stream” which features through the book. Donations and proceeds from the sale of Logan’s original work and prints will go directly into the printing of Logan and Eric’s first children’s book “Little Blue Fox and Finch- Tea With the Stream”.
Artist statement:
The forests are burning, the water is polluted. Where do we go from here? We need to ask the question- What in nature have we forgotten? Like us humans, our natural spaces need to be seen, loved dearly, and fiercely protected. I love that an illustrated character, when placed in a real natural setting, can help protect that piece of land. The forest, stream or swamp becomes more cherished and loved. Characters and story telling have the power to create a connective experience in all of us. Watercolour has a way of expressing a sense of wonderment, profound mystery and the feeling of flow. To me, there is no better medium to put down on paper when lovingly portraying nature.
Tea by the Stream, Logan Soeder
“The ideas behind Fox and Finch have the potential to inspire connection with nature amongst the older and younger generations. ”
Tell me about your creative process. Do you create in the spaces that you are inspired by or are you creating at home from memory or photos?
I spend a lot of time in the woods. I don’t feel like the land is well represented if I’m not including that energy in my creative process. Finding the right emotions and words comes easier when I spend time with real trees and express my love of them through characters. I usually bring some materials out in the woods to capture the essence of what I need to, then I will take that back to the studio and work from photos. There is the odd time I will fully create a work of art in the woods, but that usually ends up being concept work for a more finished piece. I maintain an energetic connection to the tree I’m working with by taking a pinecone or bark to my studio and visiting the space often.
How did the collaboration with Eric come about?
The process of building up the courage to ask an Indigenous individual, as a settler white person, is a long story. In short, for a long time I’ve felt it was my path to work with Indigenous people in some way. It was important to me to include their voice in this creative process because the land represented in this book is of their ancestors. There was an incident along the way that I lost my confidence to ask and began asking some non-Indigenous to help create a song. This very quickly turned back to me seeking an Indigenous person. My intuition shouts at me sometimes and I need to listen because it gets uncomfortable! I simply asked my friends on Facebook if they knew an Indigenous folk musician and a friend pointed to Eric. When I first heard Eric’s music on Spotify, I wasn’t sure he was the right fit. I told Eric how I felt and he felt strongly that he could deliver the folk sounds I was looking for. So far I’ve been very impressed with Eric’s work and look forward to continuing this process with him and hope it will be a connective experience for him along the way.
When you started this series, was the intent always to create a children’s book?
Yes, the intent was always to create a children’s book. This being said, I’ve struggled getting anything off the ground because of mental health issues and unresolved trauma from childhood. My embracing of ADHD helped a lot because I started to learn about things like executive functioning and how to work with the lack of it. Also, working through my own intergenerational trauma (with the aid of the land) brought me to a place where I felt the need to represent it.
When will the book be released?
The book will be self published, so it depends entirely on when we can get the right funding. The goal would be around $14,000 to print 1000 copies from a company called Print Ninja. The release will also depend on my ability to work with my executive function effectively. So the answer to this question is we don’t know yet but hopefully in the next year around Christmas time.
The works in this exhibit span the past 10 years. Is there a plan to continue this series, The World of Fox and Finch?
I have many book ideas, but I am focusing right now on creating one book as an introduction to the philosophy of interconnection with the natural world and also a feel for the world the characters live in. Next will be a loose webcomic to get a better feel for who these characters are and what their values, strengths and weaknesses are. From the web comic, I can see more story books being made and story ideas strengthened.
In your artist statement you ask, “Where do we go from here?”. In your opinion, where do we go from here?
From the Black Lives Matter movement I learned that as a white person I should decenter myself and give space to BIPOC people to express themselves how they need to. Similar to this, I feel us adults need to decenter ourselves for children and let go of our pride. We need to work in cultivating an acceptance with our impermanence. Connection with nature has a very effective way of teaching this. It never feels forced either, it just kind of flows and is what it is. Nature teaches how to let go, we need to listen to her.
Do you think that art can educate or incite people to act on climate change, protect natural resources and help with environmental issues?
Yes I do think my art and art in general can educate and incite people to act on climate change. I feel that if I know a tree or piece of land well, I want to put more effort into protecting them. The ideas behind Fox and Finch have the potential to inspire connection with nature amongst the older and younger generations. One example of art being an effective tool to inspire conservation: Early in my practice as an artist, I was inspired to learn about the profound effect Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter had in protecting land (that my blood family originates from) in the UK. This website explains that: “Beatrix Potter was a pioneer of conservation. She loved life in the Lake District and became a prominent member of the farming community. Over the years she bought a large amount of local land, which she later left to the National Trust (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/)
Beatrix bought her property with the royalties from her book and later gave the land to the National Trust to be further protected. But I don’t think this is the only way protection continues to happen. I think people have grown connected to some of the featured spaces in her books, thus protecting the area even more, through the generations.
What do you want people to take away from this exhibition?
Purchased art and prints so that Eric and I are a step closer to getting this book printed. I also hope to have inspired an awakening in the collective community about the intentions behind Fox and Finch and answer why there has been so much effort put in this work. I hope to have inspired a sense of deeper connection to the physical land so we come to love and protect it the way it needs to be. Finally, I hope to make the experience of connection to the land a fun, humorous and exciting experience for adults and children.
Follow Logan on Instagram. Follow Eric on Instagram.
Interview by Glodeane Brown
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