Wild Roots: A Series
Episode One
A HANDFUL OF DIRT
Featuring painter John Potter, A Handful of Dirt is a meditation on painting, our primordial connection to the natural world, and our relationship with the Creator. Rooted in the Ojibwe story of the sacred bond between human and Ma’iingan—the wolf—the film invites us to remember our place among wild things. In a handful of dirt: past, present, and future are held together. The final quote lingers, asking us to reconsider our entire way of being.
Wild Roots: A Series
Episode One
A HANDFUL OF DIRT
Featuring painter John Potter, A Handful of Dirt is a meditation on painting, our primordial connection to the natural world, and our relationship with the Creator. Rooted in the Ojibwe story of the sacred bond between human and Ma’iingan—the wolf—the film invites us to remember our place among wild things. In a handful of dirt: past, present, and future are held together. The final quote lingers, asking us to reconsider our entire way of being.
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The Series
Wild Roots: A Journey to Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Wilds is a series of short films
exploring the deep, timeless connections between humans and the natural world, and our rediscovery of lost wisdoms from wild places.
Who is John Potter?
Honoring Nature and Culture Through Art
John Potter grew up in the Upper Great Lakes region, spending his formative years immersed in the lush forests of the Great Northwoods, where he developed a profound love for the natural world that continues to inspire his work today.
His artistic journey began in childhood and led him to Utah State University, where he earned degrees in Painting and Illustration. After a successful 20-year career as an award-winning illustrator, John transitioned to painting full-time in 2002.
“Painting for me is a form of communication with our Creator, and of gratitude as well; for the life and beauty brought forth on this Earth, especially in our remaining wild places.Because of this, I feel a sense of responsibility for the privilege of painting, for the gift of the craft. Many painters are out there trying to be heard – I paint to listen.”
On their day of release, John Potter and his brother held ceremony in Yellowstone National Park, to welcome back, and adopt, the first group of Wolves to roam the Park in almost 70 years.
A Wolf Connection Production
Wolf Connection is the global innovator in facilitating the restorative human-animal relationship with a unique focus on Wolf Therapy®. We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization and wolf sanctuary, empowering all beings to believe in their worthiness, their inner capacity for personal growth, and the power of the pack.
Wolf Connection is the global innovator in facilitating the restorative human-animal relationship with a unique focus on Wolf Therapy®. We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization and wolf sanctuary, empowering all beings to believe in their worthiness, their inner capacity for personal growth, and the power of the pack.
A Partnership with Jacques Marie Mage
Supported through the patronage of Jacques Marie Mage
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