There’s an old saying, that goes if you work with your hands, you are a laborer.
If you work with your hands and your mind, you are a craftsman.
But if you work with your hands and your heart, you are an artist.
In small studio behind his house, Okanagan carver Les Dunlop is hard at work on his latest piece.
“This is South African wonderstone,” Dunlop said of his project.
“It’s really nice to carve because you know exactly what’s going to happen.”
Dunlop’s piece is a life-size coho salmon.
“It’s going to be jet-black,” Dunlop said.
Dunlop has dedicated the last 20 years of his artistic life to working with stone.
“You have to have a passion for it. You can’t do this kind of thing and expect it to come out well if you are just in it for money,” Dunlop said.
The Oliver-based artist says his best-known works are his bears. But since moving to the Okanagan five years ago, he’s begun to branch out.
“This turned out exactly how I wanted it to,” said Dunlop, referring to his last finished piece, a raven entitled ‘Attitude.’
The polished black raven is garnering a lot on interest from various art galleries
“I think it will sell quite quickly,” Dunlop said.
The price tag on the finished piece? More than $7,000.
If it’s sold by a gallery, Dunlop will see half that sum.
Dunlop says it is tough to sell a piece, but when he does, he is extremely gracious.
“It’s humbling, absolutely humbling that somebody would spend their hard-earned money on something that I have made,” Dunlop said.
For an up-close look at some of Dunlop’s latest work, West Kelowna’s New Moon Gallery is hosting a show on Saturday.
Les Dunlop, just one in a long line of incredible artist who call the Okanagan home.
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