What seems like a life-time ago (25 years or so - that IS almost a lifetime!), I was fortunate enough to take a few folk art painting courses. Needless to say, I was immediately hooked and found myself painting late into the night - creating primitive looking works of folk art.
I was asked by a local antique dealer if I would consider painting a carving that he had acquired from a carver in Quebec. This was quite a challenge ... and well before the days of Google where you could look up Tobacco Store Indian and see many samples of how to paint such a carving. I used to watch and rewatch episodes of the sitcom "Cheers" to view the large Indian carving on that show!
Eventually I had enough courage to give it a go and it turned out not too bad - or at least I thought so. It was soon after that a very talented and creative friend and I decided to take an adventure of our own and drive to Quebec to pick up our own wood carvings to paint - after all I had learned how to paint a loon, lol. Boy, we were so naive but little did we know that this would eventually lead us to opening our own little country store/studio for 7 wonderful and eventful years! We learned so much about running a retail business and even made a bit of money to show for it. I remember calculating how many ducks etc. that I would have to sell in order to buy something for myself. Also, there were a few years that everyone on my Christmas list got a Canada Goose or Duck carving whether they wanted one or not.
We made yearly trips to our favourite carver and one year my partner had enough nerve to bring home a 6 foot high Indian carving!!! We strapped him on the roof of the car and headed home - what a sight to see. I'll never forget how shocked we were when someone came by our little store and wanted to buy him. We had, after-all, put a price tag on "Joe" but never expected to sell him.
Well, as the story goes - we each painted many more of these tall fellows - it never ceased to amaze us that they sold.
There was one, however, that I just couldn't bring myself to sell - I loved his flared headdress and after all these years have never gotten around to painting him. In fact, I like him just the way he is.
To this day, he stands proudly in my back sun porch, guarding the back yard and reminding me of "the good old days" when I was the co-owner of a neat little country store called NOAH'S ARK STUDIO!!!
I was asked by a local antique dealer if I would consider painting a carving that he had acquired from a carver in Quebec. This was quite a challenge ... and well before the days of Google where you could look up Tobacco Store Indian and see many samples of how to paint such a carving. I used to watch and rewatch episodes of the sitcom "Cheers" to view the large Indian carving on that show!
Eventually I had enough courage to give it a go and it turned out not too bad - or at least I thought so. It was soon after that a very talented and creative friend and I decided to take an adventure of our own and drive to Quebec to pick up our own wood carvings to paint - after all I had learned how to paint a loon, lol. Boy, we were so naive but little did we know that this would eventually lead us to opening our own little country store/studio for 7 wonderful and eventful years! We learned so much about running a retail business and even made a bit of money to show for it. I remember calculating how many ducks etc. that I would have to sell in order to buy something for myself. Also, there were a few years that everyone on my Christmas list got a Canada Goose or Duck carving whether they wanted one or not.
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| Small 3 ft. Carving |
We made yearly trips to our favourite carver and one year my partner had enough nerve to bring home a 6 foot high Indian carving!!! We strapped him on the roof of the car and headed home - what a sight to see. I'll never forget how shocked we were when someone came by our little store and wanted to buy him. We had, after-all, put a price tag on "Joe" but never expected to sell him.
Well, as the story goes - we each painted many more of these tall fellows - it never ceased to amaze us that they sold.
There was one, however, that I just couldn't bring myself to sell - I loved his flared headdress and after all these years have never gotten around to painting him. In fact, I like him just the way he is.
To this day, he stands proudly in my back sun porch, guarding the back yard and reminding me of "the good old days" when I was the co-owner of a neat little country store called NOAH'S ARK STUDIO!!!
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| Geronimo II |
Till next time .............. thankful for one of the many interesting experiences I have had in my lifetime!
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Loved reading about your eventful past and how you kept a piece of it to enjoy and remind you.
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