Closing reception for “Earth Elements” at Kerrobert Courthouse Gallery

By Annie Duncan

The Kerrobert Courthouse Art Gallery hosted the closing reception for the exhibit “Earth Elements,” a collaboration between artist Bonny McNab and stone carver Shane Junop, last Wednesday, August 31. The combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional art gave viewers a glimpse into the capabilities of the elements found in Saskatchewan’s landscape.

PHOTOS BY ANNIE DUNCAN

Artist Bonny McNab stands in front of her art on display at the Kerrobert Courthouse Art Gallery in the exhibit “Earth Elements,” a collaboration between stone carver Shane Junop and herself, on the show’s final night of viewing last Wednesday, August 31.

Stone carver Shane Junop stands beside his sculpture of a horse made from field stone found throughout Saskatchewan at his exhibit, “Earth Elements,” with artist Bonny McNab, in the Kerrobert Courthouse Art Gallery last Wednesday, August 31.

McNab is a plein-air painter, the art of painting beyond the four walls of a studio and creating within the landscape, who has recently delved into the art of eco-printing. What started as a fun learning experience with a friend on the art of eco-printing has evolved into learning the capabilities of sustainable art supplies in botanical printing onto fibre.

McNab has allowed herself to explore techniques that interest, challenge, and feed her passion for art. She strives to inspire curiosity, creativity and excitement around nature and art.

“I want to keep delving into making a deeper understanding of the plant as a medium that is sustainable,” says McNab.

Last year McNab received a Canadian Council Grant to research and study which Western Canadian plants hold the capability to print and wants to continue learning the different ways she can incorporate nature into her art.

Junop is an emerging stone artist based in Saskatoon that uses field stone found in the Saskatchewan landscape to create unique abstract stone sculptures.

Junop’s artistic process is unique as it begins with placing himself in the landscape and finding pieces that resonate with him. Once he brings them home, he explains that he allows himself to “sit with them for a while” to allow the piece to speak to him.

“Every once and a while, I just see something in them,” explains Junop.

He looks deep within each piece, notes the natural curves, shapes, and textures of the stone, and reveals what he sees beyond the stone’s surface, like a modern Michelangelo.

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free,” Michelangelo.

Next at the Kerrobert Courthouse Art Gallery is the “Fighting Normal” exhibit, a multi-discipline installation addressing the stigma around mental illness, by Amy Willans and Laurie MacFayden from September 7 to October 21, 2022.