Black Sheep Gallery - Folk, Outsider and Self-taught Art

"This morning, the sun endures past dawn. I realise that it is August: the summer's last stand." (Sara Baume)

August at the Black Sheep Gallery is a month of dance competitions, children playing, fishing trips, beautiful blond mermaids and an attractive lady friend of Sid Howard, spotted roosters and to remind you that school is just around the corner, a pencil box. Join us for an end of summer visit with some of our recently acquired artwork.

The rooster by Peter Rafuse was made in 2002. The tail is almost as big as the rest of the bird. Peter has used a wood veneer to make the double tail, waddles and comb. The bold pink and purple spots would brighten anyone's day.

Garnet McPhail lived on a rural road not far from Peter Rafuse. Garnet usually greeted us in his overalls in front of his shed. We were always delighted with his offerings; an armadillo, a toothy alligator or a carving of that dog you remember from your childhood. The two fish we have to show you this month are spotted (of course) and while they look great together they can be purchased separately.

We were very lucky to find " The Dance Competition" by Garfield Campbell at a lovely cottage on the South Shore. Garfield married late in life and his wife Verbena was worth the wait. She welcomed us into their home and even sent us back on the road with sandwiches and drinks. Verbena painted Garfield's carvings and she has outdone herself on this piece. The ladies are kicking up their heels and Verbena has adorned them with earrings and jewelry, lacey collars and Nova Scotia tartan skirts.

The Joe Norris painting came from the same collection, obviously put together by someone with a love for Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia folk art, and an excellent eye. This large oil painting is approximately 40.5" long. The frame has been decorated with colourful stars. The scene is two fishing vessels tracking a couple of swordfish. They've been swordfishing with harpoons in the waters of Nova Scotia's south shore since the 1880s. A man 40 feet above the water up in the mast, searched for the telltale sickle fin. It was often hours of boredom but when the swordfish was spotted the striker in the long pulpit would throw the harpoon. The harpoon was a heavy wooden dowel, about 15 feet long, with a bronze dart at the end. Once the fish was harpooned, the rope was pulled out of the beckets until a keg, watertight and painted orange, was pulled overboard. A man was dropped off in a dory to retrieve the keg and pull the fish in. It is rumoured that on more than one occasion, the swordfish would get so aggravated that it speared right through the dory or impaled the fisherman.

Mel Corkum often painted the fishing boats and fishing villages of Nova Scotia too, but at the age of 94 he painted "Children At Play". It is a winter scene with ice skating, snowman building and toboggans, and larger than other works by Mel that we have had in the gallery.

We are excited to share a significant carving of a fancy lady by Sid Howard. I am sure I have seen those earrings hanging from one of my grandmother's lamp shades. Sid Howard was one of Nova Scotia's most popular folk artists He was featured on the television series, "On the Road Again" and was also interviewed in the National Film Board documentary, "Folk Art Found Me". If you have half an hour, sit back and enjoy one of the best and definitely the most delightful folk art documentary out there by clicking here.

Bradford Naugler's "No Break Down" fiddling Mountie has returned to the gallery after its inclusion in the Folk Art Society of Nova Scotia pop-up Exhibition of Folk Art in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia from July 14th to August 11th, 2024. The show was a great success and was well attended. The Mountie is now available for sale.

I found a pretty blond mermaid by Barry Colpitts to share with you this month but is she pointing us in the right direction? Barry is still working on the whirlygig he has asked me to sell at the gallery. I dropped by to take a look in late July and it is ... well just wait and see later this year. During my visit Barry asked me to see if anyone was interested in a pencil box that he painted with Craig. The seagulls were done by Craig (he doesn't often paint). All of the proceeds except applicable tax and shipping will go to Craig.

Don't forget to drop by the Inverness County Centre for the Arts between the dates September 15th to October 27th for a solo show of the paintings of folk artist William Hess . For more information please click here.

Be safe everyone.

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