--< Backroad Folkart by Kerras Jeffery >--: January 2013

I just finished my gulls today. The "flying gull" is for sale at $68 each.

The "true P.E.I. gull" is the one wearing our Island flower the Lady Slipper which is for sale at $138 each.

Here are a few photos taken in my shop earlier this week - the gulls were waiting for more paint and detail.

For more information on the Lady Slipper, see -

http://www.gov.pe.ca/infopei/index.php3?number=1523&lang=E

The Lady's Slipper was adopted as the provincial flower on April 25, 1947. The orchid gets its name from the shape of its petals which form a pouch somewhat like a slipper. The Lady's Slipper blooms in late May and June and grows in shady and moist woodlands. These delicate flowers should not be picked, nor transplanted, as they will rarely survive a change of habitat.

The Floral Emblem Act, Chapter 15, Laws of Prince Edward Island, 1947, and An Act to Amend the Floral Emblem Act, Chapter 9, Laws of Prince Edward Island, assented to 26th March 1965.

Last spring I was approached by the folks at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery to participate in an art showing of whirligigs that would be on display at the Art Gallery (http://www.beaverbrookartgallery.org/main-e.asp) in Fredericton and at Kingsbrae Garden (http://www.kingsbraegarden.com/) in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, NB. My submission was "When Pigs Fly Whirligig" and was displayed all summer at Kingsbrae Garden.
The following are photos, articles, etc. of the Whirligig - this piece is for sale for $825 plus taxes. Please call or email to discuss further.

When I create my art I like to incorporate recycled materials. This whirligig is no exception. The main wheel is a bicycle wheel with large red bus reflectors to move it in the wind; in the middle is an upside down bus reflector with an old lamp shade frame holding the middle propellers. The whirligig moves easily in the wind - the pigs go around and around while their yellow nose propellers spins easily on brass bushings.

Going with the Wind: Whirligigs by Atlantic Canadian Artists

June 28, 2012 - September 15, 2012

The exhibition features wind-drawn sculptural objects which transfer the energy of the wind through rotation to power a simple or more complicated mechanism that results in repetitive motion and/or sounds. The exhibition entitled Going with the Wind: Whirligigs by Atlantic Canadian Artists will be displaying indoors and outdoors at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton and Kingsbrae Garden in St. Andrews, NB"
The exhibition will incude artwork from public and private collections including: Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Chris Huntington and Charlotte McGill. The exhibition consists of a total of 50 artworks spanning over 50 years, 14 of which are outdoor whirligigs by contemporary Atlantic Canadian artists. The indoor sculptures are by historical and contemporary makers and are kinetic whimsical, colourful and accessible.
The exhibition will concentrate on wind-drawn whirligigs which transfer the energy of the wind through rotation to power a simple or more complicated mechanism that results in repetitive motions and or sounds. Whirligigs became popular in North American in the mid-18th century and have evolved over the years to be one of the finest examples of folk art expression.
In addition to the artworks from public and private collections, the Gallery has commissioned 13 contemporary artists in Atlantic Canada to create major site-specific whirligigs for installation at both locations. Artists who have provided site-specific installations are: Alanna Baird, Ned Bear, Gerald Beaulieau, Luc Charette, Alfred Ellis, Terry Graff, Scott Higgins, Kerras Jeffery, Gerard Kelly, John Little, Chas MacKay, Kerry O'Toole and Bill Shaw.
The installation will also include: Four Horses by Max Streicher on the roof of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and A windmill model unit at both locations provided by CanWEA. Sponsored by John and Lucinda Flemer, Isles Foundation, Acadia Broadcasting, Sprott Power Corp.
Lucinda and John Flemer

http://www.beaverbrookartgallery.org/exhibition-show.asp?exhibition_id=423
In mid September 2012 a local friends was visiting Kingsbrae Garden in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea and emailed me this photo of the poster describing the exhibit as you enter the gardens. My whirligig was prominently displayed!