Dad's creativity was enormous. The circumstances of his life never allowed him the luxury of formal training. In spite of this, his carvings and paintings are impressive. This post will share one of my favourite wood carvings. It was a 2nd prize winner in the Simcoe County Fall Fair of 1992, and was given to me Christmas, 1993. I will treasure it always.
February 1, 2020
Here are 3 of Sam's paintings we love to enjoy!
Cora's General Store is the painting below. Set in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, like their first homestead. It's interesting that they had little money to purchase anything at that stage in their lives, so a General Store with Mom's name on it would have been a luxury! The other luxury in this painting is TREES! If you're familiar with the Canadian Prairies, trees are rare and precious in some regions. When she moved to the foothills after marrying Dad, Mom missed the rich arboreal landscape of Ontario. In this painting, she receives riches on many levels.
Prairie Riders in Winter
The painting titles are my own - based on what Dad has portrayed, and my perceived back-story. Prairie winters can be brutal! This painting makes me cold, just looking at it. Dad has captured the wind, as it affects the humans and horses on this stormy day. Looking carefully, you will see different headwear and gear carried by a cowboy (left), and indigenous riders (foreground and right). The cowboy and his pack horse is very much outnumbered by the native riders. I think this shows Dad's sensitivity to our invasion of native lands, but also, the cooperation that can exist when surviving together in the elements.
Buffalo Hunt
To me, this painting is another example of survival on the western Prairies. I love how Dad has captured movement of the hunter and the hunted buffalo. I believe this (and perhaps the painting above) are captured from some well-known works. As an untrained painter, Dad looked to artwork he admired for inspiration.
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