Adele
Woolsey

click for bio
click for website

Leaves

The investigation of natural objects, processes, textures and shapes allows me to explore themes of mystery, wonder and unpredictability.  To me, autumn leaves represent cycles of transformation, decay, and ultimately, renewal.  My intention for the Artisan Gardens is to render fall foliage in brilliant colours and textures to represent the mystery of life as an endless cycle of regeneration.

Fish, insect and amphibians

My images for the Artisan Gardens niche sites will be with a focus to indigenous insect, amphibian or fish design- that would function making more visible what is normally more invisible for park visitors. The scale of the sites invites a singular creature that lives in the world of the park, parallel to our lives; but at a scale where one can identify and enjoy seeing their presence.

TBA

Blue Heron

An indigenous member of Fish Creek, the elusive Blue Heron is a treat to see by anyone’s standards. Its beautiful blue-gray colour and its stealthy hunting technique only add to the allure of this elegant bird. This image in oil will capture a Blue Heron in a moment of focus.

Native Symbols

Metis floral design has been a native culture since the 1700's. My goal is duplicating those designs with acrylic dot painting so the replica looks like native beading. It is a very detailed intricate design, as a one of kind, original painting on real deer/moose hide. This will be mounted on the board ready to be preserved in the installations provided by Bow Valley Ranche Artisans Garden. A true tribute to our native heritage.

Aboriginal Abstract

I plan to create an aboriginal abstract to honor the spiritual, special dream or celebratory experience. I will also include mixed media such as a branch or cut wood or feather(s). These items will then be glued or tied onto a pictureque foundation of acrylic or oil abstract.

TBA

William Roper Hull Home

Bill’s amazing illustration  reflects the original home built by W.R. Hull home in 1896 . At that time the grand salon extension did not exist and was an addition by Richard Burns in 1960 when he resided at the Ranche.

Sponsor: Awaiting your sponsorship

Historical Landscape

Fish Creek park is near and dear to my heart for many reasons. One of the most compelling is that my father spent time there as a young boy in the 1920’s. His family would find their way out of the city and picnic, swim in the creek and enjoy the outdoors. He told me stories of attending picnics at the Ranche house and the fun he would have in the park. I have an early black and white photo of  him sitting on the edge of the creek in his swim togs during a hot summer day. My piece will be a landscape  including this photo in a collage format.

Owl

With the Great Horned Owl chosen for it's spiritual symbolism and primarily featured, also included will be the wood frog, squirrel, insect/s and leaf vegetation, representing interdependent links and biodiversity. The image will be created with actual autumn leaves which will then be digitally captured and reproduced for the final piece.

Amphibians

Contemplating a "worms-eye-view", I am interested in creating a painting from the visual perspective of reptiles, amphibians or insects which are native to Fish Creek Park.  The representation of a larger theme through a microcosm becomes an interesting way to reflect upon the significance of often overlooked components which contribute to the whole.  These ideas are consistent within the sort of visual representation that finds its way into the organic abstract themes and elements that I regularly embrace in my artwork.

Chickadee

Chickadees are some of my favourite birds and almost without fail, I see them each time I walk through the Gardens.  Brave and bold, they seem to be a good representative of the spirit building in the Artisan Gardens.  The work I'm planning would be a relief done in coloured concrete with small touches of glass, depicting a number of chickadees in the trees.

Proposed Mosaic

I plan on using pieces of glass cane and shards from old glass vessels to create a mosaic of native flowers. The use of reclaimed glass will be a unique attribute of my creation. It allows for my glass work to have a second  life in a beautiful garden.

Dennis
Weber
Metis

click for bio
click for website

Dennis
Weber
Metis

click for bio
click for website

Medicine Woman

The strength and dignity of the Medicine Woman shines through in this portrait.  After a lifetime of learning her nation’s oral traditions, she is highly skilled in spiritual healing and natural medicine.

Sponsor: Great Events Group

Blackfoot Warrior

Alberta is the traditional territory of many First Nations, including the tribes of the Blackfoot.  This is a depiction of a Siksika warrior wearing his split-buffalo-horn and horse-hair headdress with his breast plate of buffalo rib bones and rifle shells.  He carries a buffalo-hump shield, his bow and a quiver of arrows.

Sponsor: Awaiting your sponsorship

Plants, Seeds, Flora

...the land we walk on is the ground for finding seed pods, grass stems, leaf matter and flora that define where we live in this part of the world. For the Artisan Project I am drawing from these plant sources that exist in the park, to create graphic linear representations of these elements that, at the scale of the sites, will function like botanical renderings used to identify plant life. A saskatoonberry branch, trembling aspen grove leaf, or a dogwood root are like fingerprints of what thrives at these altitudes and latitude. The park is full of such wondrous life forms. My images are a celebration of them.

Spiritual Landscape

Every so often in nature we are fortunate enough to encounter the exceptional. Sunlight dancing through the trees, a ripple running through reflections on quiet pond, and the sparkle of hoarfrost on a crisp winter day are all sacred moments in the life of Fish Creek park. My contribution  to the Artisan Garden endeavours to capture one such moment in the spiritual landscape

Bull Trout Fish in Bronze

At the entrance to the Artisan Gardens, I will produce a grouping of seven Bull Trout Fish created in bronze and featured on a bed of river rock. Bull trout is Alberta’s Provincial fish, native to Alberta and is a protected species. This is a fitting tribute to Fish Creek Provincial Park.

Memories in Red

..."We never knew where it came from, or ever knew where it went. It was just there. Fish Creek."

I grew up in the community of Canyon Meadows, bordering Fish Creek long before it was a provincial park let alone part of the city. In those days people still homesteaded in the valley. As kids we would wander the valley tossing boulders in the water, spitting off the suspension bridge and gigging frogs. Out on our adventures there was an old barn and other old buildings we would pass by on our treks. Though this painting is not of the actual barn, I seem to pass by many like it often on painting treks south of Calgary.  Each time I see it, it brings me back to the place I remember as a child, blazing new trails along the rivers path. I finally got to paint it's portrait and share the presence and the memories it evokes in me.

Sponsors: Rick & Faye Luchak

Eagle

The Eagle is indigenous to the Fish Creek area and is also a symbol of great strength, leadership, prestige and sacred status to the aboriginal culture. Its feathers are used in ceremony, art and is part of tribal spiritualism and storytelling .The eagle I have created is on slate stone, enhanced with mixed media. The slate stone is a natural product which comes from the earth's sedimentary layers. The slate tile that I will use for the Artisan Project, had the eagle image already hidden in the stone, and it was important for me as an artist, to bring the eagle and its story to the foreground. This particular eagle soaring above the land, its powerful wings spread out, is in search for its next meal to survive and thus continue its species. The open distance between this flying eagle and the land below, will be expressed by smaller slate tiles.

Water-themed Mosiac

My focus is on water. My medium will be a moziac of glass and pebbles showing the flow of water using color and texture  that represents so many aspects of our life.

Light - Flow - Growth - Rebirth

Rollicking Duo

Two black bear cubs at play, painted in a direct, playful manner. Painted from instinct and intuition, the work taps into the "wildness" of these animals, and celebrates the joyful energy that we share with them.

Sponsors: Clarence & Bernice Patton & family

Gernot
Keifer

click for bio
click for website

Hand-Crafted Stone Benches

Gernot's hand-scultped stone benches can be found along the Historical Walkway of the Bow Valley Ranche.
Each bench is custom- designed and carved from Canadian Limestone to represent the unique vision of their individual donor and takes 2-3 months to create. A total of 10 original limestone benches will complete the Historical Walkway. Read more about how you can participate in this landmark progarm.


Sponsors: Rob Peters, Anonymous, The Ranche at Fish Creek Restoration Society
--------------------******7 Hand-Crafted Benches Await Your Sponsorship******------------------

TBA

Squirrel

The Alberta Red Squirrel is a species indigenous to our province. However, the newly arrived Eastern Grey Squirrel has been invading its territory, and very few Red Squirrels are still left. I wanted to raise awareness about this, and present the Alberta Red Squirrel as a valued part of our environment that we should protect.

Connections

I am constantly impressed by the interconnectedness of living breathing life forms across boundaries of all types. How do we exist and grow, in the context of our relationship to other living beings? This work will consider the balance between strength and fragility, appreciating and questioning the glue that holds individuals and ecosystems together.

I plan to combine human and bird's eye views of my local environment - Fish Creek Park, examining connections and barriers that influence the survival of the hairy woodpecker. I will also draw on personal insights relating to my experience of the park. What is happening here and now to the bird life  and how am I as a human being impacting their existence? Combining what I physically see with what I imagine, my painted panel will create a unique view.

Fish and Insects

For the Artisan Gardens project at Fish Creek Park, I'm drawn to represent the life that is found in and around the creek itself, ie. fish, insects, etc. As a glass artist, my plan is to incorporate several techniques, including sandcasting, to create the panel for an exposed and therefore, touchable surface, using glass that shows well with reflected light only.

Trees: forest floor

My work is inspired by the forests I visit, and Fish Creek Provincial Park is home to many beautiful trees. I am spending my time wandering through the Park and creating a complete sketchbook of drawings created plein aire and painted with the waters of Fish Creek. A selected number of drawings based on the Forests of the Park will be reproduced for the panel. I will also create a limited edition of reproductions in a small book format.

TBA

Bears, Owls, Ravens or Beavers

I paint wildlife on turkey tail feathers – three or more feathers combined to create my own unique canvas. My choice of subject for the Artisan Gardens is black bear with bison or beavers as an alternative.

Ken
Parry

click for bio
click for website

Knicki
Markolf

click for bio
click for website

The Gathering of the Crows

A collaborative piece by artists Ken Parry & Knick Markolf.

Sponsors: ML & MC Rozsa de Coquet

Procreation

Swanson Hawks are sometimes spotted in  Fish Creek Provincial Park. A truly rare sighting are mating hawks. Larry’s subject matter, coincidently reflecting and symbolizing four generations (hand prints) that will be featured below the art piece of Stepmother Margaret Feist, wife Mitzie, daughter Karla McInnis and granddaughter Kennedy.

Sponsors: Larry & Mitzie Wasyliw

First Nations Flora

Many of the same grasses, wild flowers and shrubs were present in Fish Creek's historic past. For this project, I will do a “meadows” landscape, bathed in Alberta's golden light. Imagine that you are child playing in the grasses a hundred years ago, peeking at a tee pee village in the background. My painting will be an intimate perspective of “Fish Creek meadow” capturing all it's texture and color!

Melanie
Morstad

click for bio
click for website

Melanie
Morstad

click for bio
click for website

Views of Fish Creek

Our home sits on the ridge of Fish Creek Provincial Park, blending urban living with the beauty of nature in the country.  Fish Creek feeds my passion for landscape and nature’s beauty– a perfect muse for my canvas.  I will be creating two paintings for this project and one will depict this urban/country connection from the ridge of Fish Creek Park, looking out at the broad expanse of the park, with a glimpse of the foothills and mountains.  Our family has experienced this view countless times over the years as we have watched our children grow up.

Trees

Trees reveal to me their figure-like forms and gestures, and it is their stories I will paint in my second piece.   The cottonwoods’ gnarly trunks tell of harsh living in the valley, yet their strength withstands the elements.   They tell the enduring stories of earlier settlers.   My goal in both paintings is to convey the energy and vitality of this beautiful park with bold colour and energy.

They Danced on the Water

The spirit of the loon is something I have always connected with on a spiritual level. The loon has the ability to walk on water, swim beneath and walk on land. It is these many gifts that I wish to obtain in my life, the gift to adapt and live in many worlds. And just like these two loons who dance together on the water we are never alone there is always someone guiding us and helping us along our paths.

Sponsors: Clarence & Bernice Patton & family

Pamela
Rodger

click for bio
click for website

Pheasant

The male pheasant struts his glorious color and feather type. Yet, he can be the illusive camouflaged stranger in the tall grass. The Ring necked Pheasant was first introduced to Alberta from Eurasia in 1908. While it is now common in Alberta, the provincial population is continually augmented by hatchery releases.

Sponsors:  Arnie & Linda Nugent

Branded Patio

Pamela is the mosaic artist for the Bow Valley Ranche's Branded Patio. She will design 87 stepping stones, including the brands of Senator Patrick Burns' cattle empire (circa 1904) to be arranged in the shape of a wagon wheel, reflective of an Era gone by. These stepping stones will be individually crafted and will incorporate sponsors' family names and hand/footprints, making you and your children 'ranch hands'.

Pamela is also currently researching and developing a story line that will be presented in 7 mosaic stepping stones showcasing the brands and the ranche history from 1872 – 1972. Pamela is excited to pass on an understanding and respect of the rich history of the Ranche to our Children and Grandchildren.

Find out how you can reserve your family Stepping Stone here...

Park in the Fall

1. Composite of indigenous flowers and berries - The magical splashes of color that dance among the million shades of green has always been my favorite part of nature. Like finding little sparkling jewels in sea of grass or sometime even a field of them nestled amongs the trees. 2. Autumn landscape of a section of the park. - Fall is my favorite season. The time for harvesting the rewards of ones efforts, fresh new starts, crisp mornings and dazzling sunny afternoons. Mother natures hand at work painting the lanscape oer with vibrant oranges, reds and purples against a smoky intense blue sky that harbours the moon in late afternoon. This is what I intend to capture in the mosaic.

Woodpecker

I will be creating a low relief piece whose main subject will be a woodpecker. I intend to set the bird in some aspen foliage. The piece will be sculpted and all the elements will have a 3 dimensional look.

Paul
Van Ginkel

click for bio
click for website

Horse Herd I, II, III

My 3 panel “triptych” is called “Horse Herd I, II, III”. The design is to function as a complete, continuous composition when the 3 panels are displayed side by side while each panel is also a complete painting when viewed on its own. Because I specialize in equine paintings and the horse is a big part of many cultures and locations (including Fish Creek Park), it was clear to me from the start that I was going to paint this subject. I enjoy painting all kinds of equine compositions, however, I particularly love designing canvases with many horses because of the aesthetic pattern of the animals and the interactive body language of their personalities.

Sponsors: Suzanne Sorensen & Jim Dawes

Up Where We Belong

Hundreds of years ago, in southern Alberta, Eagle feathers were prized possessions. Today, this intriguing feather is also highly valued, the same way as the ancients. Fish Creek would have been a good spot to catch an eagle. A good spot to offer a ceremony and pray and fast and participate in a sweat. After four days of purification, the warrior would place himself in a hole in the ground which was covered with sticks and grass. A piece of bait was placed on the makeshift cover and the wait would begin. This image depicts what might have happened if the eagle landed. The hole's occupant would grasp the eagle by the talons and attempt to take a few feathers while making a gratitude filled assumption that the Eagle's spirit had granted permission.

Sponsor: Awaiting your sponsorship

Wolf

The symbol of the wolf is represented in myth, legend and lore worldwide from the beginning of creation.  Native Americans greatly respected the wolf, and though they shared the same prey, they lived side by side for thousands of years. A great hunter was said to hunt like a wolf: the power of the wolf was used in healing:  the wolf defended his pack against enemy attack, as the Native American defended his tribe: the skill of a wolf was called upon to bless a hunting party as  the wolf had patience and perseverance  when hunting  -  with these skills the hunt was successful and the community was fed. When you hear the call of the wolf;  remember those who have hunted and walked here before us.

“The wolf is symbolic of the vast wilderness and mystery of our great country” …Robert Bateman

Sponsor: Awaiting your sponsorship

Robert
Magee

click for bio
click for website

Robert
Magee

click for bio
click for website

Brandings

Cowboys are remarkable for their respect of tradition. Each day, as they saddle up and ride out,they do everything in much the same way their great-grandfathers did. Horsemanship, good “cow sense,” pride in the way they handle a rope and the annual spring branding have endured all of thechanges to the ranching industry.

Sponsor: Awaiting your sponsorship

Cattle King Burns

Pat Burns became a rancher and a big one. By 1912 he had six huge ranches. He was one of Alberta’s “Big Four” cattlemen who, in that year backed the first ambitious Calgary Stampede and saw it achieve success. Burns liked the cattlemen and was never as much at home as when he was with them

Sponsor: Matthew Burns

Aboriginal Imagery

Painting of Buffalo Skull: Native people feel a strong connection to the buffalo. A buffalo skull has great presence and is a reminder of a powerful past. Painting of Shield: A shield offered some protection in battle but was more for spiritual protection. Symbols, amulets or horse hair from a favorite animal, represented strength and power.

Magpie

Red-Sided Garter Snake (Imagery on hide)

Landscape: Floral

For my painting I would like to do a winter landscape of the park, featuring the creek as it peeks out of shimmering snowbanks and trees dressed in white mantles . I am a plein air painter (French term for ‘in the fresh air’) and I find one of the most engaging times to paint in the park is on a sunny day in the middle of winter, when the air is still and quiet and the park mostly deserted.

Shawn
McPherson

click for bio
click for website

Pelicans

Through the beauty of glass I plan to create and develop a majestic mosaic depicting the local white pelicans. Using stained glass and fused glass as my medium, my vision is to bring these white pelicans to life!

Mythical

I would like to create a panel for the project using layers of copper, bronze and nickel sheet metal. By using my jeweller’s saw, I can pierce and develop silhouettes of the gardens or landscape, mountains or local. These panels would oxidize in different colours over time but they will last for hundreds of years outside without losing their initial visual impact.

Landscape

Coyotes

Sponsor: On hold

Two Bison

A western icon, bison have been depicted by man ever since he picked up a piece of charcoal and began to draw on cave walls. In early black and white photos, color was added by hand tinting. "Two Bison" has a similar nostalgic mood while incorporating a contemporary edge, as well as War Paint.

Aboriginal Imagery

Chief Bust

An 8” Bronze medailion depicting  The Cheif   - a political officer whose distinctive functions are to execute the ascertained will of persons united by the possession of a common territory or range and to conserve their customs, traditions, and religion. He exercises executive powers delegated to him in accordance with custom for the conservation and promotion of the common weal.

Sponsor: Awaiting your sponsorship

TBA

Imagery on Hide