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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-10-29, Page 35THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2015. PAGE 35. One painting can mean something different to every person who looks at it, but the winning painting from the Huron County Art Show had several different meanings for its artist, Blyth resident Scott Ramsay. The painting, called “Ole Faithful”, represents a return to painting for Ramsay, a new chapter in his artistic experiences, a sign that his new direction is one worth following and a sign that he might finally have actually finished the piece. Featuring a 1958 Farmall H tractor, the piece was the first of a series that would feature farm equipment. For inspiration, Ramsay visited the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association last year. “I was looking for the most beaten, rusted tractor I could find,” he said. “I knew what I wanted, I needed a piece of farm machinery that had weathering on it.” Ramsay said that someone came up to him and offered, but, like much of the machinery on the grounds, everything he was offered was restored. “Then I saw it, this Farmall, it was perfect,” he said. “The best way I can explain it is there is probably more paint on the canvas than there was on the tractor. It was faded, washed out and perfect for what I wanted.” Ramsay is currently working on several other pieces from his time at the reunion, including a close-up piece featuring steam engine gears. “This was the first piece from there,” he said, adding that he is currently working on a combine painting. Those pieces will be part of a show that will feature Ramsay’s work at the Goderich Co-Op Gallery. “The whole idea for me is re- inventing common things and showing them in a way that people aren’t looking at them,” he said of his new direction. “Tractor parts seemed to be a great place to start.” The painting was also the first piece that Ramsay had started and completed since moving to Blyth just over a year ago. He and his wife Cat O’Donnell moved to the village and opened Wonky Frog Studio in the hopes that they could pursue their artistic endeavours more fully. Ramsay had been on a five-year hiatus since he had started any new works. Getting back into the swing of things might have been a bit more difficult than anticipated, however, as he explained to The Citizen. “This work was not a labour of love,” he said. “I started out liking it, but I quickly began to hate it.” He said that choosing something so detailed was difficult for him because he is a very detail-oriented painter. He wanted to get everything just right. He even almost gave up on the piece at one point. “I brought it downstairs, showed it to Cat and said that I was done with it,” he said. “She just looked at me and said, ‘Do you really think so?’ and I soon went back to finish it.” O’Donnell explained that being done any work is a blessing for an artist because they get to put all the frustration from the work behind them and move on to the next project. She said she didn’t have to say anything specific, just ask Ramsay if he really thought he was done. “She knew I wasn’t done,” he said. “The first thing I do when I finish a work is sign it and I hadn’t signed it yet. I did about 12 hours more work on it before it was finished.” Ramsay couldn’t put a number on how many hours he worked on the piece, though this isn’t the first place it was shown. He said that it was first revealed at the Blyth Community Art Show at the Bainton Gallery at the Blyth Centre for the Arts, but only just. “I finished it two days before that show,” he said. “I needed to have it Old and gold Blyth’s Scott Ramsay took first place at the Huron County Art Show this year with his piece “Ole Faithful”. The painting features a 1958 Farmall H tractor up close, showing off what Ramsay refered to as its war wounds. He said that the age and condition of the tractor was what he was looking for when he visited the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association last year looking for source material. (Denny Scott photo) Ramsay almost gave up on Art Show winner Huron Chapel is excited to present JUNO award winning artists… Tim and Glory Boys Sunday November 15th @ 7:00 at the Blyth Memorial Hall tickets $8.00 in advance $30 for family pass available at the Blyth Festival Ticket Office, the Radiant Living Christian Bookstore in Goderich or from Huron Chapel 273 Hamilton St., Blyth • 519-523-4590 Visit us on Facebook Blyth East Side Dance Learn the Rumba www.frankmills.com Tickets at the Blyth Festival Box Office call 1-877-862-5984 or www.blythfestival.com FRI., NOVEMBER 20, 2015 – 7 PM BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL Entertainment StopsStopsStopsStopsStops a l o n g the wayalongtheway A VISITORS’ GUIDE TO HURON COUNTY stopsalonglakehuron.com Read the latest issue on-line at... 430 Queen Street, Blyth, Ontario 226-523-9720 Specialty Coffees & Espresso Bar Lunches, Treats, Craft beer and Ontario wine By Denny Scott The Citizen Get information on Huron County attractions on the Stops Along The Way section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca Continued on page 36