Courtney Powell and Other Artists He Collaborates With

Courtney Powell

I live in a small cabin in Comox on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I’ve been in and around the coastal forests all my life which has enabled me to find and use amazing woods for my pieces. Some of the vessels I create come from old growth giants 1000 years of age and older.

I’m good at what I do and tend to lean towards creations that Mother Nature has a big part in. I’m mostly self-taught with the help of a few close friends. Lately I have begun to branch out or open up may be a better way to put it... I now am doing a lot of my vessels without the use of my lathe. These free hand vessels and my masks are very exciting for me. No borders, no right or wrongs, just go and do as I am guided. I give many thanks for this gift of freedom.

My vessels now are in U.S.A, Europe, Australia and Bahamas and are finding their way around the world. I love to expose these forms and very much hope that a piece will help decorate your home and give you some of the love and beauty I have experienced while creating them.

!! ENJOY!!

Randy Frank

Comox/Sechelt First Nation

Randy Frank was born in the Comox Valley in 1974. He is the son of Stan & Carol Frank, with ancestors from both Comox and Sechelt. Randy began sketching and drawing designs at an early age, expanding his talents after graduation. He obtained his first formal carving training in 1997 and 1998; Randy first attended a Canoe Building Course with Mervin Childs & Calvin Hunt, and the following year he took a Mask Carving Course with Max Chikite.

Randy was drawn into the carver’s world and has spent the years expanding his artistic talents carving masks, sculptures, totems and traditional cedar canoes. Randy Frank has worked with many of the schools in the Comox Valley, teaching students traditional carving techniques, and sharing his culture with young brilliants minds.

Although busy, he still makes time for local charities. Over the years, Randy’s artistic creations have been sold around the globe to private collectors and galleries.

Fred Anderson

Fred Anderson Jr. of Heiltsuk descent, was born in 1966 in Rivers Inlet, British Columbia, a village situated just east of the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Traditional aboriginal art has been an integral part of his life from early childhood. All his creations have a story incorporating his culture with spiritual development. "I believe that all experiences positive and negative are stepping stones to personal improvement." Fred acquired his artistic ability naturally from his elders. He apprenticed under the renowned native artist, Ross Hunt and was greatly influenced by David Gladstone. "My people have a lot to offer to the human family."

"For centuries, our art has been a way to create beautiful conversation." "We are all spirits united in the human experience, all here to walk each other home." For many years, art was secondary in Anderson's life as he spent years on the circuit addressing large gatherings as a very successful spiritual development and motivational speaker. However, art as a means of expression could not be denied and Fred has now evolved as an accomplished artist in his own right, experiencing outstanding success and acceptance. His art is a reflection of the strength and hope he derives from his personal history and each piece has a unique meaning to him based in the teachings of his ancestors.

Fred 's artwork is prized by collectors as far away as Germany and the US and hangs in galleries all over Vancouver Island and the BC mainland, but his life now is centered in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Brenda Chalifoux-Luscome

The art of pyrography (heat engraving) is popular in all parts of the world and has been practiced for centuries. Brenda has been a pyrographic artist for twenty-five years and has enjoyed burning onto wood, gourds and paper. The majority of her creations depict legends, myths and children's folk tales.

Brenda has received awards for her works at the Trumpeter Swan Festival in Courtenay and the Brant festival in Qualicum Beach. At the Canadian Gourd Festival in Beaton, Ontario this past July, Brenda's entry, Earth, Air, Fire and Water won "First in Category", "Best of Division" and "People's Choice" awards. She has participated in many juried art shows, local studio tours, and her work is carried in galleries throughout British Columbia. Her work was sought out by movie producers, who commissioned Brenda to create a special piece, titled "Interwoven", to be featured in a television movie filmed in Vancouver.

Brenda is currently collaborating with a wood turner and several first nation artists to create original vessels and platters enhanced with aboriginal designs that she is applying through pyrography.

Brenda's home studio is located in the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Click to see larger examples of her fine burning.