Village Squire, 1976-10, Page 4Don Vair turns out about one painting a week in his basement
studio. He's never bothered to get an easel.
Artist discovers
career almost
by accident
2, VILLAGE SQUIRE/OCTOBER 1976
It all began one day back in 1973 completely by accident.
Don Vair, staff artist at CKNX television in Wingham was
working at the station when Ward Robinson of the station's
photography department dropped in to ask if he might have use
for three old pieces of plywood he has about to discard. For some
reason, a reason he can't recall now, Don Vair-took them home
and painted a picture on one of tiem. The effect, with the grain of
the wood showing through brought a tremendous reaction from
all who saw it. It spurred him on with the idea of painting on wood
and he went down to the station's woodworking shop where he
found a piece of old barn board discarded. He painted on it and
again the reaction was terrific.
"I went out to J im Armstrong's farm," he recalls, "and filled
the car with barnboards" and since then the name Don Vair and
the term barnboard paintings have become more and more
synonymous.
Don doesn't know for sure that he was the first artist to use
barn board as a surface to paint on, but "I'm very satisfied in my
own mind that I didn't copy anyone."
The uniqueness of his work has brought him more attention
than many artists get in their whole careers. Yet the publicity he
gets. is also usually the result of hard work on his own behalf.
"I treat publicity as if I were applying for a job," he says. "I
simply try to make people aware of what I do and hope they'll find
it interesting."
This approach to publicity began one day when he was going
by the monitor room at the station one day and saw the J uliette
show on the screen. Why not, he wondered, let them know of his
barnboard paintings. They were indeed interested and he made
an appearance on the show. He has also done television shows on
stations in London, Barrie, Windsor and Kitchener.
For many artists, he says, appearing on television would be