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Double vision

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (July 07/04) - There were plenty of slack-jawed stares of disbelief when Ame Papatsie was in the house at the Nunavut Arts Festival in Rankin Inlet this past month.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Two-handed-drawing artist Ame Papatsie of Panniqtuuq was a big hit at the Nunavut Arts Festival in Rankin Inlet this past month. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo


Those stares of disbelief quickly turned into oohs and aahs every time the Panniqtuuq artist would hold up a finished drawing -- usually less than five minutes after he started! What was doubly amazing about Papatsie's speed in producing a top-quality drawing was the fact he uses an ambidextrous approach to his work, with two magic markers spiralling in action together at the same time.

Papatsie chuckles modestly at the often-uttered compliments of his "unbelievable talent." He talks eloquently about his style, and art in general, without looking up from his paper, his markers sketching dutifully away as he describes the view through his eyes.

"When I look at my subject it's as if the image divides in half, yet I still see the two halves come together to form the whole," says Papatsie.

"I am able to sketch, with each hand, the half-image I see from that side."

Coming out of his shell

Each visitor who leaves the area where Papatsie works is quickly replaced by yet another curious onlooker.

He is as unperturbed by the steady ebb and flow of humanity as he is by the constant stream of questions being asked of him.

Papatsie says while he was always an art lover, he was quite shy as a young boy and often had difficulty finding words to express himself.

His art helped to bring him out of his shell and, these days, he bristles at the suggestion you need paints, easels and an expensive canvass to be a real artist.

He says putting a pencil to paper is one of the truest forms of art.

"That perception of needing expensive supplies often discourages young people from trying.

"Too often people think they can't do this or that and don't bother to try.

Ability within all

"The ability is within all of us. You just need to believe in yourself and work to bring it out.

"We're all artists in one form or another. You just have to find the canvass in life that works best for you."