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

The new year is finally here, and we wish everyone a peaceful and productive 2021. I was a little delayed getting this newsletter out this month because we have a new Cocker Spaniel puppy and it is difficult shooting artwork with a puppy chewing on your heels or trying to consume everything in sight. I did manage to dig out a few items to show you, and hope you like them.

Charlie Tanner (1904 – 1982) started fishing out of Cape Island, Nova Scotia at age 13 and is rumoured to have been involved in the movement of alcohol from St. Pierre Island to New York state during prohibition. He was only involved in carving between 1975 and 1981, but during that time carved some of the most distinctive art to surface in Nova Scotia during the 20th century. As Chris Huntington stated in the essay he authored for the catalogue of the 1984 Charlie Tanner Retrospective at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, “Handicaps of limited education and experience, briefness of career, problems of ill health or restrictions in god-given skills are the confines that the work rises above. If we are sensitive in reading the work, if we allow time from our too busy world to let this work have its space, it will stand forth to speak for Charlie and the world he created it from.” This charming couple by Charlie demonstrates exactly what Chris was talking about. We also have one of Charlie’s “naughty” carvings of a couple. We do not like to put these on the site but will send an image, dimensions and price if you send us an e-mail.

Stephen Outhouse (1941 -2018) created large relief carvings in pine as well as carvings of fish and birds. This scene is of an active fishing wharf with the fisherman’s house not far from the shore; a common scene on the many harbours in Nova Scotia.

Eddie Cobiness (1933 – 1996) was one of the founding members of the "Indian Group of Seven" which included Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray, and Joe Sanchez. Eddie was born on the Buffalo Point Reserve in Manitoba. He discovered watercolour paint during his military service in the 1950s. This tranquil watercolour painting of two ducks includes Eddie’s treaty number “47” in the left corner.

Sulton Rogers (1922 – 2003) was born in Oxford, Mississippi, and returned there after his retirement. He was well known for his “haints”, which were figures which were both amusing and disturbing. We have added another carving by Sulton to our Gathering of Haints. One look at this dapper bug eyed gentleman and you know it came from the hands of Sulton Rogers.

And finally, something a little different, a cheetah by popular Nova Scotian folk artist Barry Colpitts. Barry is still working on his whirligig farm and he was recently interviewed by CTV news. You can see a video of the interview by clicking here.

Stay safe, everyone.