Village Squire, 1976-10, Page 5A somber Amish boy illustrates the ability of barn board to add a
new dimension to a painting.
torture, but he comes from a family with a show business
tradition. While other artists can't express themselves in front of
a television camera, he likes television and show business. "I feel
fortunate that I can do it", he says
Art, for Don Vair is very much show business. "Some artists
could live in a hold in a tree somewhere and bare their souls on
canvass," he says. But for him, he has to know that there is an
audience, that there are people looking at his work and enjoying
it to make it all worthwhile. He says he is hung up on things that
last, and likes the knowledge that after he is gone, his paintings
will still be there to speak for him.
His interest in art started early, then took a sabbatical before it
developed full fledged again. He grew up in Hamilton and
studied art for four years at Central Technical Institute. He was
deeply religious and always had the idea that he would do
religious art With that in mind he enrolled in the London College
of Bible Admissions, now part of the Ontario Bible College where
he studied theology for two years. He was also interested in
music however and after graduating played the organ for
evangelist Barry Moore for a year then went back to school and
studied music for two years. But art called him back and he was
doing religious art work for two organizations at the same time.
In 1971 the opportunity came to come to Wingham. (The
Wingham station has been responsible for bringing at least two
of the Huron -county artistic community to the area, the other
being Guenther Heim).
He enjoys his work at CKNX more than nything else he's ever
done, Don says, but is grateful that he is!now able�.to work on a
contract basis for the station meaning he s. mply hash() get the job
done and can work his own hours. It mean's he's able to be home
most afternoons to work on his painting. "It enables me to
develop my work securely," Don says. "It enables rile to spend
more time on paintings. I don't have to worry about selling just to
keep food on the table."
Still, he is a fairly prolific painter, averaging about one piece a
week. There is a lot of preperatory work to be done for each work.
He has, for instance, a large amount of researched information on
file for future paintings. When he decides to do one, he carefully
selects the piece of wood he thinks fits his subject best. 'It then
must be cleaned, scraped and braced for greater strength. He
Soft. Luxurious, Ultrasuede
with remarkable easy -care
features ... washable by hand
or machine, won't stretch -
shrink or wrinkle.
Ideal travel companion!
Gorgeous new colours in
Dresses. Skirts.
Suits, Pant Suits.
Our Fall Collection also includes:
Ports International Corduroys & Fall Denims
Fantastic Alrich Knits
Johnathon Logan Sweater dresses
Highland Queen Mantailored Suits.
Choose the clothes best suited
for your Life Style
master charge
OPEN 9-6 DAILY
9-9 FRIDAY
VILLAGE SQUIRE/OCTOBER 1976, 3