20 Dec
Brazilian Soapstone, Canadian Artist, Soapstone sculpture

Chris Farley

C. Farley Fat Bear In A Little Boat

I posted this photo yesterday on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  My name for this carving is;  C. Farley A Fat Bear in A Little Boat.

I loved Chris Farley’s humour and I Still do even though he passed away 20 years ago yesterday.  Can that really be true?  It seems too long ago. I still watch his  road trip movie ; Tommy Boy whenever it comes on and of course old SNL skits.  Humour is a basic need in life. Like friendships, humour is that something that makes a bad day better and a great day awesome.  Injecting some humor into my carvings I believe shows that soapstone art can be anything the carver makes it.  An aggressive eagle, the tree of peace or this fat bear in a little boat.  I believe in art reflecting the artist and his or her interests.  This piece of art does that.

Talking technically for a moment,   I made the paddle and for someone with large size hands that was a feat in itself..  The boat and the bear are all one piece of Brazilian soapstone. This piece of art makes me smile every time I see it just like the real Chris Farley made me smile.  One day someone will feel the same and buy it for their mantle or office and smile.

Enjoy your life, enjoy the upcoming holidays and buy art!!

13 Dec
Canadian Artist, Soapstone sculpture, Uncategorized

Humour with soapstone art

Whether the  pieces of art sell or not, well that as always is up to the client. If I can have a sense of humour about my art most of the time, that is what I can control.

Pictured here is a spring chicken.  I entered myself in a contest a few years ago which in our circles is called; a juried exhibition.

Sounds quite a bit more professional and fancy to be juried and exhibited instead of shown.  Do dog shows have juried exhibitions?  Just wondering?

Either way,  I think you are supposed to feel better when you get in and worse when you don’t. This spring spring chicken bit of tongue in cheek humour made me smile and didn’t get in.

I think the criteria for the exhibition through the gallery that operated it was;  the change of seasons .  That is pretty all encompassing and could have taken anything from my art world including a collage of nature .  I however veered towards humour.

In case you may need some explaining;  I am a gear head turned artist (therefore a spring was part my stock and trade)  A chicken has the prime of their life and then they are gone, to a pasture or someone’s dinner table.  It might be a stretch for the change of seasons and a stretch for the jurists but, abstract work is entered into exhibitions all of the time and with some of those, you can do a headstand and not figure it out without the little card of explanation.  Love that type of art

This whole carving is solid but I am pretty proud that the old bird looks like he is teetering on the moment of springing off to head for some worms.

Do I wish that I won the contest, of course- winning is the only thing.  But I laughed and humour is an important thing.