On Saturday August 19, 2017 at 3pm Copake Auction Inc. will present a one owner collection of Nova Scotia Folk Art to be sold with NO RESERVES!
In addition to the featured artists below, other works from Robert Lavender, James Zwicker, Dianne Outhouse, Brian Fancy and Lawrence Gray will be offered. Also to be auctioned will be decoys and other bird carvings from Walter Cross, Gary Levy and more!
Donald Boudreau
(1917 – 2000)
Lot 509. Donald Boudreau
Donald BoudreauA lifelong resident of St. Bernards, Nova Scotia, Donald Boudreau worked as a lumberjack and in the fishing industry. In later years he became a woodworker in a mill and then owner of his own lumberyard. Around 1974, he began carving after his wife asked him to make her a lawn ornament. He continued to carve at the urging of friends. He has carved a variety of subjects including life sized figures. His maritime background is reflected in his whirlygigs, seagulls and beach scenes. More personal subjects include a collection depicting his family pets, as well as a very realistic self portrait. Donald’s work has been featured in From the Heart, and is included in the collections of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Ref: Canadian Museum of Civilization, From the Heart – Folk Art In Canada (1983); Canadian Art, Spring, 1985; Kobayashi/Bird – A Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists (1985); Empress, November/December, 1985; Nova Scotia Folk Art – Canada’s Cultural Heritage, A.G.N.S. (1989); Canadian Museum of Civilization, Les Paradis du Monde (1995); Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, A Life of Its Own (1997); Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999)
Source: http://www.lighthouse.ca/boudrea.html
Charlie Tanner
(1904-1982)
Lot 479. Charlie Tanner
Charlie Tanner was born in 1904 in Stonehurst, Nova Scotia. After working as a professional fisherman for a few years, he moved to Eagle’s Head in 1929, and established his own fishing business. Upon retirement in 1973 he started carving on a full time basis. He had always spent his spare time whittling, but now he started selling his carvings to visitors. Charlie Tanner died in 1982. Two years after his death, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia honoured him with an exhibition of his work.
Lot 336. Charlie Tanner
Reference: Charlie Tanner Retrospective, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 1984. Folk Art of Nova Scotia, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 1976. A Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists, Kobayashi, 1985.
Source: http://www.folkartcanada.ca/EC_CT.html
Collins Eisenhauer
(1898-1979)
Lot. 359 Collins Eisenhauer
Collins Eisenhauer. Sculptor. Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. Active mid 20th Century.
Collins Eisenhauer was a primitive artist. He began carving in 1964 after he retired. First with larger pieces that he put on his front lawn; painted wood carvings of Geese and water birds. And his impressions of people. After he was discovered (first by by Antiques pickers and dealers who were at first inclined to hide his real identity) and then, in the early 70’s, by the public), he began signing his carvings and his reputation spread. His work became topical and classical and attracted a great deal of attention.
Many of Collins Eisenhauer’s most interesting and strongest works are those inspired by classical themes; works such as Leda and the Swan and others inspired by society’s attitudes.
Ref: Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, A Life of Its Own Chris Huntington and the Resurgence of Nova Scotia Folk Art (1997), Marie Elwood. Folk Art of Nova Scotia. Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Halifax. 1976., National Museum of Man, From the Heart Folk Art in Canada (1983), Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival Society, A Joyous Vision – Contemporary Folk Art in Nova Scotia (1995), Anne Sutherland and Zalman Amit. The Sutherland/Amit Collection. Smith Falls, Ont. 1994., Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).
Source: http://lyleelderfolkart.com/artist-bios/collins-eisenhauer/
Leo Naugler
(1956 – )
Leo Naugler is one of Nova Scotia’s best known folk artists. Before taking up folk art in 1989, he worked as a highway labourer, and at various other jobs, and owned a small automobile body shop. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. His work was also featured among a group of selected works which toured the United Kingdom in 1989. He appeared in the 1994 National Film Board production, “Folk Art Found Me”, and has been the subject of a number of newspaper and magazine articles, and several television shows. In 1996, several of his carvings were included in an exhibition of Canadian folk art at the McMichael Canadian Art Museum in Kleinburg, Ontario. One of his paintings was featured on the Lunenburg Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival poster for 1998. Leo and his Flying Fish Helicopter, which he completed in 1996, were featured on the Life Channel’s “Weird Wheels” in 2002.
Unfortunately, because of the onset of physical ailments, Leo’s ability to carve became severely limited, and he has done little work since 2002.
References:Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, “Nova Scotia Folk Art – Canada’s Cultural Heritage” (1989); Nova Scotia Folk Art Society, “A Joyous Vision – Contemporary Folk Art in Nova Scotia” (1995); Foshay, Galipeau, Tousley, “Welcome to Our World – contemporary Canadian Folk Art” (1996); Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, “A Life of Its Own” (1997); Blake McKendry, “An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art” (1999).
Source: http://www.lighthouse.ca/leo.html
View all works: http://copakeauction.hibid.com/catalog/108269/august-19-2017–cataloged-estate-auction/?q=leo+naugler
Bradford Naugler
(1948 – )
Bradford began carving and painting in 1989, after working in the woods, and as a labourer and house painter. He is well known for his carvings of peacocks, roosters, seagulls, bears and small to life-size human figures, and the red and black checkerboard frames on his paintings. He has also carved mermaids, deer, bobcats and a number of other animals.
Bradford Naugler’s work includes a commission for the Confederation Gallery in Prince Edward Island, for whom he did life sized carvings of the ten fathers of confederation. He is featured in the 1994 National Film Board production, “Folk Art Found Me”, and has also been featured in a number of television shows. His work toured the British Isles as part of the Canadian Cultural Heritage Exhibition (1989) and is included in the collection of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and in collections throughout North America and Europe. His six foot carved “Black Bear” was donated to the Canadiana Fund, and is now located at the official residence in Ottawa. He has participated in all of the Nova Scotia Folk Art Society festivals, and the 1992 festival poster featured one of Bradford’s well known carved roosters. Bradford’s artwork has twice been featured on the poster for the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival.
References: Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Folk Art – Canada’s Cultural Heritage (1989); Nova Scotia Folk Art Society, A Joyous Vision (1995); Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, A Life of Its Own (1997); Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999). Bernard Riordon (Beaverbrook Gallery), Canadian Folk Art from the Collection of Susan A. Murray (2007).
Source: http://www.lighthouse.ca/bradfo.html
View all works: http://copakeauction.hibid.com/catalog/108269/august-19-2017–cataloged-estate-auction/?q=bradford+naugler
Ransford Naugler
(1953 – )
Ransford Naugler Ransford Naugler began carving in 1988, after having worked at a number of jobs including deck hand on a fishing boat, carpenter, and maintenance work, “doing whatever I could get and giving it my best”. He has been featured on several television shows, and in two documentaries, “In the Genes” and “Folk Art Found Me”. His brothers Leo and Bradford are also well known Nova Scotia Folk artists. Ransford is represented in many private and public collections, including the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The Canadian Museum of Civilization, The Canadian Consulat (Boston, Mass.) and the personal collection of Her Excellency, The Governor General of Canada. His work includes many life size figures.
References: Nova Scotia Folk Art Society, A Joyous Vision – Contemporary Folk Art in Nova Scotia (1995); Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, A Life of Its Own (1997); Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999)
Source: http://www.lighthouse.ca/ransford.html
View all works: http://copakeauction.hibid.com/catalog/108269/august-19-2017–cataloged-estate-auction/?q=ransford+naugler
Eddie Mandaggio
(1927 – )
Eddie Mandaggio worked in northern Manitoba and Ontario as a trapper and as a hunting and fishing guide. After moving to Nova Scotia in 1951, he worked on the railroad and in lumber camps. Eddie began carving in the early 1970’s, and later started painting. His work, which consists primarily of animals and birds, includes a life size carved self portrait. He has been the subject of numerous articles about folk art, and is also featured in “Folk Art Found Me”, a National Film Board of Canada production released in 1994. Eddie has not been active since 2003, and his work is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
Ref: Kobayashi/Bird, A Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists (1985); Canadian Art (1985); Empress (1985); A.G.N.S., Nova Scotia Folk Art – Canada’s Cultural Heritage (1989); Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival Society, A Joyous Vision – Contemporary Folk Art in Nova Scotia (1995); Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, A Life of Its Own (1997); Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999), Bernard Riordon (Beaverbrook Gallery), Canadian Folk Art from the Collection of Susan A. Murray (2007).
Source: http://www.lighthouse.ca/mandag.html
Eli Whiteaway
(1914 -1987)
Lot 415. Eli Whiteaway
Eli Whiteaway was born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. He took over his father’s shoe making and repair business and he later opened “Eli’s Store” a general store in Shelburne. Eli started carving as a young boy and later carved peices for his yard and to sell as souvenirs in his store. His animals, people and three dimensional paintings and assemblages are original and decorative. Eli was one of 22 artists selected to participate in “Folk Art Of Nova Scotia”, held in 1976 which was the first exhibition of contemporary Nova Scotia folk art organized by the Art Gallery Of Nova Scotia. This exhibition toured Canada from January, 1977 to May, 1978
Ref: Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival Society, A Joyous Vision – Contemporary Folk Art In Nova Scotia (1995); Marie Ellwood, Folk Art of Nova Scotia (1976); Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, A Life of Its Own (1997); Blake McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999).
Source: http://www.blacksheepart.com/whiteway.html
William Baker
(1942 – 1997)
Oyster Pond, Jeddore, Nova Scotia
William Baker worked in carpentry, construction and landscaping. He started carving as a hobby, with subjects that included dragons up to eight feet long, and stick men, made from found materials. He also carved horned ducks, mermaids and other subjects in the round. He was drowned in a tragic recreational vehicle accident in late 1997.
Ref: A Joyous Vision – Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival Society
Source: http://www.lighthouse.ca/baker.html
Joe Norris
(1924 – 1996)
Lot 447. Joe Norris
Joe Norris was born in 1924 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The family moved to Lower Prospect when Joe was seven years old. Much of his childhood was characterized by sickness, in particular pleurisy. This kept him away from school a great deal of the time. Being confined, he took up painting to keep himself occupied. Later on he worked as a fisherman and construction worker. A severe heart attack at age forty-nine forced him into early retirement. This is when he went back to painting, and through the encouragement of a visiting nurse he continued painting and eventually nailed some of his pictures to the front wall of his fish house. Through this initial display he found an outlet for his completed paintings.
Joe Norris painted seven days a week in his little yellow house he had built himself in the early 1970s. He often painted for about twelve hours solid each day. Generally he began with no preconceived idea, no drawing or sketch. He just worked at his brightly painted pictures of the world around him using several very small brushes. In addition to the pictures he also painted the occasional piece of furniture including tables, chests and mantles.
As he worked there was often a steady flow of children, neighbours, and near-by relatives going in and out of his house. Joe, a bachelor, missed the fishing life. He once said “I’d rather be fishing. I’m out in the air and stuff, and I like working… hard old life fishing.” When asked if his paintings would ever make him famous, “no” was his answer. Joe Norris died in 1996.
Reference: Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists, Kobayashi-Bird 1985. Folk Art of Nova Scotia, 1978. From the Heart, 1983.
Source: http://www.folkartcanada.ca/EC_JN.html
Dave Stephens
(1955 – )
Lot 500. Dave Stephens
David Stephens has worked at a wide range of jobs, ranging from marine rigger to logging foreman.
David was a co-founder, along with Lorne Reid, of a folk art studio/gallery in Cheticamp, Nova Scotia, and was instrumental in supporting and promoting some of the first wave of folk artists from Cape Breton. He is also a co-founder of the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival. He has painted since childhood, and has been at it full time since 1984. He has become one of Nova Scotia’s most popular folk artists. Along with his paintings on board, he has also completed two “art car” projects, in which he decorated a 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and a 1981 Chevette using paint, marbles, coins, found objects and broken mirror glass. One of his painted Volkswagon doors was selected for the McCain travelling exhibit of Maritime Art in 2002, and was later purchased by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia for its permanent collection. One of David’s works was selected for the 2005 poster for the Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival, and he was featured in “Saltscapes” magazine. He was also featured on Wayne Rostad’s “On The Road Again” television program in the fall of 2005.
Ref: Nova Scotia Folk Art Festival Society, A Joyous Vision – Contemporary Folk Art in Nova Scotia (1995); McKendry, An Illustrated Companion to Canadian Folk Art (1999)
Source: http://www.lighthouse.ca/stephens.html
