Christopher Holmes

Born: 1929

Christopher Holmes. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Mallorytown, Ontario. Active mid-20th century.

Christopher Holmes was a Decoy carver, active in the mid 20th century. He was also known for his  ornamental bird carvings.

David Horst

Born: 1873  |  Died: 1965

David Horst. Sculptor. Wood carver. St. Jacobs, Ontario. Active mid-20th century.

Maker of naive painted carvings of birds and animals.

Cited: Canadian Antiques and Art Revue. (1980)

Joseph Bureau

Born: Active 1930's.

Joseph Bureau. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Saint-Victor-de-Beauce, Quebec. Active 1940’s.

Joseph Bureau made painted wood sculptures of birds and animals. He was cited in Canadian Antiques and Art Revue.

 

Ref: Canadian Antiques and Art Review. (1981).

Ref:Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).

Phillip Melvin

Born: 1938

Phillip Melvin. Sculptor. Painter. Born: Lamanche, Newfoundland. Toronto. Vancouver. Active mid to late 20th century.

Philip Melvin worked principally with ‘as found’ materials. (Construction sites were a likely source of wood panels for his low relief carvings and paintings.) Often in trouble with the law; he spent time in prison and rehabilitation centres. He was often ‘on the street’ and would trade his work for food and drink. His art reflected people in society and on the news. Religion and politics were favorite subjects as was human foolishness. His pallet was ‘as found’ primary colors and his sense of humor was sharp and biting. His work is collected extensively in Museum and private collections.

He was shown in a 2000 Canadian Museum of Civilization Exhibition: “Under The Sign of the Cross: Creative Christianity in Canada.

Prudent Vianneau

Born: 1930's

Prudent Vianneau. Sculptor. Woodcarver. Tabusintac, New Brunswick. Active last quarter 20th century.

Prudent Vianneau carved birds and mounted them on Black Spruce saplings and wooden dory models among other settings. His color pallet was always primary colors and white. Mr Vianneau was the last of the Vianneau folk artists  from the Tabusintac area. The Vianneaus were makers of decoys and decorative bird carvings from about the middle of the 19th century. Tabusintac is on the New Brunswick shore in the Acadian Peninsula.

Born in the 1930’s; Prudent Vianneau carved over a period of fifteen years and was forced to retire around 2003 by ill health. He kept his yard full of Birds; Trees, Boats and Gulls on iron rods. Every Spring he would repaint them. His bird assemblies were striking and very intuitive and are in public and private collections around Canada and the U.S.

An example of his work in red and yellow:

(As we can see, his birds are flat-plane carvings and done in three pieces)

Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac, New Brunswick.

Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac, New Brunswick.

 

Another setting of his birds:

Prudent Vianneau. Sculptor. Tabusintac New Brunswick.

Prudent Vianneau. Sculptor. Tabusintac New Brunswick.

 

Another example. Birds on a paddle:

Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac New Brunswick. Wood carving. Birds on a Paddle.

Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac New Brunswick. Wood carving. Birds on a Paddle.

 

Prudent Vianneau. A Yard Bird. (Sea Gull on an iron shaft):

Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac, New Brunswick. Seagull. About 24 inches long.

Prudent Vianneau. Tabusintac, New Brunswick. Seagull. About 24 inches long.