There's a tightly-knit creative enclave in the Upper Saint John River Valley of western New Brunswick, Canada. Meet our artists and artisans, musicians and performers as well as entrepreneurs and leaders. (These interviews, currently on hiatus, first appeared in the Woodstock NB newspaper, the Bugle-Observer.)
‘From home economics to art, I’ve always taught something.’
Teacher, artist Gladys Neilsen
The artist in her studio and a selection of recent paintings. The
flowers are representative of Neilsen’s best-known style but the birches,
shown here as a detail from a larger work, are highly textured.
‘I was good to the horse business and it was good to me.’
Ron Hill “the horse carver”
A highly realistic team of draft horses at left; race horses, titled “Spring Break”, at far right.
Ron Hill, at top centre, with one of his early sculptures; below, figures are outlined on
basswood before carving. The carving and finishing method is described in the video below.
‘We’re all creatures struggling to be creative ─ anyone can do it.’
Watercolour artist Sabrina Shaw
Shaw’s watercolour art displays a wide variety of themes although each work
seems to zero-in on the key subject matter. Here the artist talks about an
abandoned truck, one of her more unanticipated paintings.
abandoned truck, one of her more unanticipated paintings.
‘I have a traditional approach that some say is a nice kind of weird.’
Clay artist Denise Violette Michaud
Michaud with two of her art dolls and, along the sides of this image,
several heads she has sculpted recently in her atelier near Grand Falls NB.
‘I’ve put down roots here and want to make a difference.’
Arts entrepreneur Paul Twyford
Paul Twyford at the Creek Village Gallery with some of the
fine pewter products, made in Harvey NB, that he retails locally
fine pewter products, made in Harvey NB, that he retails locally
‘I like to make them and I like to get rid of them.’
Woodturner Dale Slipp
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Slipp, at left, in his workshop turning the outside of a new bowl on the lathe.
Centre, from top, the bowl after the first turning then going to the second, inside phase.
At right, rough bowls take at least four months to dry in the “bowl bank”. |
‘I think perhaps progress leaves behind a haunted landscape.’
Artist, poet, photographer Allan Brewer
Brewer displaying and talking about some of his photos from the series “Along Country Roads”.
‘I am inspired by things of the past, childhood memories and the intricate details found in nature.’
Fibre artist Julia Rhyno
A multi-talented artist who just happens to work with fibre
‘In painting, I don’t like rules and I don’t follow a lot of them.’
Oil painter Jean Richard
Familiar scenes, such as this field in Kamouraska, Québec,
gain from Richard’s uncommonly grand perspective.
‘I use art to overcome life’s challenges. It’s liberating.’
Brenda Thebeau
Brenda Thebeau holding the lion page that changed her life. Insets: other art journal pieces.
“My new work is far less personal… but it’s all about exploration.”
“My new work is far less personal… but it’s all about exploration.”
Loyal to oil: Artist of the Month at Creek Village Gallery
Artist Wanda Black
Even Black's flora can be quite captivating as demonstrated here in a detail from
a larger painting (bottom) which invites the viewer to imagine the story beyond the canvas.
The lush images at top form a tryptic.
a larger painting (bottom) which invites the viewer to imagine the story beyond the canvas.
The lush images at top form a tryptic.
‘I used to carve and display in the back of a barber shop.’
Francine Simard Levesque
Art in the Valley Studio Tour celebrates Canada’s 2015 Craft Year
Next weekend, June 6-7, 2015, the Art in the Valley Studio Tour is saluting Canada's Craft Year with special events and open houses from the Grand Falls area to Woodstock and points between and beyond. Some of the highlights: From top left, Francine Simard Levesque’s 7-foot sculpture (a portion of which is shown here) at her studio in Rowena demonstrates her meticulous technique; necklace and earrings inspired, according to Perth’s Japheth McKinney, by a sudden “craving for watermelon”; a particularly fine ceramic piece by Wendy Johnston (formerly of Woodstock), part of an extraordinary show at the McCain Art Gallery in Florenceville; pigs do fly, occasionally, on the broad lawn in front of sculptor Kerry O’Toole’s gallery in Grafton; wood-turner Randy Hathaway’s lighthouse-inspired showroom on the banks of the Tobique. Bottom: necklace by Sarah Smith Stewart recently on display at the Creek Village Gallery in downtown Woodstock.
(These items subject to prior sale or may not be available for purchase.)
(These items subject to prior sale or may not be available for purchase.)
‘I’ve become a YouTube junky. That’s how I learned the craft.’
Jeweller, artist Japheth McKinney
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McKinney is fond of fluid, colourful pieces like this which are produced using a pouring medium combined with acrylic paints. Once the paint compound is applied to the canvas in layers, the whole piece is tilted to produce the bleeding effect. "I just love the intensity," he says. |
‘I had a hard time finding a market. Now I can rely on word-of-mouth.’
Artist Craig Smith Dow
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The artist surrounded by canvases in his Somerville NB studio which will be open to the public Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, 2015.
PHOTO © CRAIG SMITH DOW |
Looking back: an encouraging audience trend, a new cultural corridor, a gap in youth education
In the last two “seasons” of this column, I have completed 35 interviews with artists and crafters, writers, musicians and performers as well as entrepreneurs and cultural leaders in the Carleton County NB area. It’s been fun and invigorating.
Artists are rarely without strong opinions and creative ideas. The viewpoints that have jumped out at me through these interviews are, first, the strong local support and enthusiasm for the arts, then, the promise of cultural tourism and, lastly, the importance of appropriate arts education opportunities at all levels in our public school system.
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| Some of the players and some of the work that are making the upper St. John River Valley a cultural hot spot: clockwise from top left, artist Judith Saunders, watercolourist RoyTibbits, quilting by Kookie Sewell, glass art (detail) by Alice Sahagian, carver and basket weaver James Buxton, Victoria Hutt of the Andrew & Laura McCain Art Gallery, Peter McLaughlin of the Second Wind Music Centre, unfinished acrylic painting (detail) by artist Ann Kittredge, pen and ink with watercolour (detail) by Jean Haywood, artist Suzan Carsley. |
‘I don’t usually take just one photo ─ I occupy the area.’
Photographer, poet John P Rairdon
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| For this scene near the downtown market in Woodstock NB, 57 images were combined to create a midnight panorama. “February is the longest month of the year,” says Mr Rairdon. “We trudge along in the darkness, clinging to any source of light to guide us into spring.” |
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