From Dream to Reality Part 2

 When the three collaborators (Darrell Baschak, Robert Thibault and I) met with our liaison from the Resort Village of Manitou Beach office, who said that we had unanimous support from the Centennial Planning Committee, the room lit up with our shared excitement.

Robert (Bob) was particularly excited. He had been working for years as a heavy-duty mechanic and welder but always had an artistic side that he continued to nurture. I was very impressed with his exquisite attention to detail. He was totally uncompromising when it came to the finer points of high-end welding and fabrication. I watched him work for hours, patiently grinding and fitting pieces of metal together to form, for example, the decorative legs of a finely crafted wrought iron table. He was also an expert blacksmith, with plans in place to install a foundry in his well-appointed shop. The 'Manitou Reflections Project' would be a fabulous triumph for a person like him, with all of the skills needed to help bring it to a timely fruition!

Darrell also expressed his enthusiasm in those early days. He is a well-connected journeyman carpenter as well as an accomplished easel painter. He had never tackled an artistic project of this magnitude before this, but had the confidence in his abilities to agree that yes, he would join the trio.

My portfolio was, by this time, bursting with large, ambitious mural projects that had been commissioned all across Canada. I viewed the logistical challenges with a practiced eye, having tackled many projects of considerably greater magnitude in my career as a mural-painter and designer. 

 After some vigorous debate, the location of our project was decided upon. We would house the artwork at the 'Uhman Centennial Park', just east of relics at Manitou Beach. Shown above are the three collaborators and our RVMB liaison (Myself, Darrell, Chris Moffat and Bob Thibault) standing on the very spot, overlooking beautiful Manitou Lake.

There was something very special and unique about the 'Manitou Reflections' project that promised to eclipse the artistic statements made by my previous mural projects. That is... this project would be strictly a work of 'high art', that would be conceptualized by the trio and really, there were no limitations to the potential of the design. To me, this was an intoxicating idea. When I sat down to render my early conceptual drawings, I knew in my heart that this design was going to be a culmination of forty years of design experience. The intimate details that would flow out of the idea would not be scrutinized by a committee. Rather, they would flow organically and in cadence with my own design sensibilities. Put another way, I was free of encumbrance and any limitations that might have been inflicted on the process by an over-stepping committee. Sometimes, though I am loathe to admit it, this occurs with a commissioned mural that is overseen (supervised even)  by an over-zealous committee. I always do my best to embed my personal stamp on everything I design and paint, but alas, there have been times when it is most expedient to follow the lead of the patron(s) in some of the design decisions that are inserted into a mural. In this case however, this was not happening. I was not tethered by any outside influences or restrictions. 

It was decided early on to use steel in the design. 

We were looking for a permanent material that would be an artistic beacon 'in perpetuity' at our beloved Manitou Beach. At first, we contemplated cold rolled steel that would be coated in a nickel bath to simulate stainless steel. After all, the project referred to 'reflections'. After realizing the excessive cost and time involved in this process, we made the quantum leap to create the artwork using bona-fide stainless steel. Bob was very enthusiastic about this decision, because it meant that he could take a lot of pride in the fact that here was a project that would have virtually a permanent life-span. Even if the surface is scratched, there is no chance of rust with stainless steel! Also, this material would be impervious to the salty atmosphere emanating out of the mineral-laden waters of Little Manitou Lake. After all, the artwork would be parked only feet away from the edge of the lake.

A striking example of the iconic 'reflections' that appear in the lake on a windless day.

'Reflections' have been a recurring theme in my artwork for the past 25 years, since I have lived at Manitou Beach with my adorable wife Sharon.

                                                                     About the Artist: 

                                          To read more, please visit me at www.mrgaudet.com

From Dream to Reality: Part 1

In April 2018, my wife Sharon happened to spot an unobtrusive little announcement tacked on to the bottom of our monthly "Resort Village of Manitou Beach" e-mailed newsletter. The bulletin stated that the village was inviting artists to submit proposals for a fitting public art installation to help celebrate our upcoming 2019 centennial. The successful applicant would receive a 50% contribution from Heritage Canada! Here's the rub: the deadline for submission was in only ONE WEEK!

 I was generally upset at the severely restricted timeline. My theory was it would be an 'inside job' and that someone 'in the know' had already come up with a proposal and this ad was just window-dressing so that it could be said that the commission was put out to tender.

Fuming, I told Sharon that it would definitely take longer than a week to come up with an idea, a budget and of course, a presentable design! Usually, for something of this magnitude, I like to allow my idea to marinate as I patiently wait for that 'click' moment when the design comes together both visually and conceptually. Like say, about a month. I also much prefer to secure a written contract with my client including a cash deposit in place before my pencil hits the paper. That is my standard policy as a long-time mural-painter/designer.

Her response to my conundrum was simple and eloquent.

"Shit or get off the pot!"

Thinking of the potential excitement that this project might generate, I decided on the spot to sink my teeth into it. I called a couple of fellow artists who also lived at Manitou Beach and we settled on a quick meeting that very evening. They were Darrell Baschak, a fellow painter and house builder. (his day job) and Robert (Bob) Thibault, a fabrication master and expert welder. Once I mentioned the potential project, the two gentlemen decided on the spot to join forces with me. So far, so good.

Darrell suggested the idea of 'reflections' be the central motif of the project. Bob and I both agreed so I set out to come up with a design with that idea in mind. After some more brainstorming, we came to the logical conclusion that the artwork should be constructed of a highly reflective material, such as stainless steel. Here is my first, rapidly executed rough draft that I came up with.

                   A fine example of the iconic reflections cast by Little Manitou Lake on a still day.

                The design concept that received unanimous support from the planning committee.

With my above rough sketch in hand, I flew out to Nova Scotia for a pre-planned visit and fact-finding mission. I had my laptop with Photoshop installed, so I drilled down into the concept and created a more satisfying rendering:

The design concept that went on to earn the three collaborators 50% funding from Canada Heritage.

We were very excited to hear from our liaison from the Village Council that my design received a unanimous vote of confidence from every member of the planning committee! We were one step closer to realizing the "Manitou Reflections Project" vision.

Stay tuned for the complete story in the coming weeks.

If you can't wait, check out my website at www.mrgaudet.com