The Hare-Raising Tale of Artist Jamie Brick
by Sally Hansen
“Abandoned as an infant, Jamie Brick was taken in and raised by a pack of wild medieval rabbits. This unusual upbringing reflects in this artist’s eyes as he sculpts stone, wood and mixed media into creatures from a world that lies just left of centre.” This is how sculptor and lifecast artist Jamie Brick introduces himself on his artist’s website at www.jamiebrick.com. When I asked him where the rabbits had come from, he told me he had been thinking about Tarzan being raised by apes in the jungle, and…
When he and his wife, Annette, attended a conference on professional development for artists at Queen’s University, they found themselves in annoyed disagreement with the lecturer’s emphatic insistence on the importance of a carefully crafted, formal Artist’s Statement. It was clear that in this authority’s opinion, Jamie’s whimsical and slightly disconcerting humour was not only ill-advised; it could severely compromise his chances of commercial success. Imagine the couple’s delight when another attendee interjected that perhaps the most delightful and memorable statement she had ever read had been by an artist claiming to be raised by medieval rabbits!
Shedding the Hare Shirt
Over the years Jamie Brick’s initial forays into folk art have metamorphosed into a marvelous conjunction of whimsical comic “ornaments” and gorgeous fine art sculptures built around his new love — lifecasting. About twelve years ago Jamie wanted to try his hand at carving a face. He convinced a friend to model for a life-cast. Once the exact replica of his friend’s face was molded and cast, Brick became intrigued with the piece and incorporated it into a decorated sculpture. Now a member of The Association of Lifecasting International, or ALI, one of Brick’s proudest achievements was his selection by his peers in 2004 as one of the top ten ALI lifecasters for his body of work.
In 2006 his sculpture “Dragon Fly” received an award in ALI’s “Wild About Art” competition. The piece was created as part of an ongoing series entitled “Myth Understood,” and was inspired by an Art Nouveau pin circa 1898 created by Rene Lalique. Brick cast the torso and face in resin from two different models. He created the dragonfly body from wood, foam and resin and then decorated it with pieces of antique silver — a Jamie Brick hallmark — including two sugar bowls, a teapot lid and dish handles. The girl’s headpiece is sculpted in epoxy clay, the wings are wood and epoxy with insets of antique silver plates, the dragonfly head and griffin paws are hand carved in butternut wood and the claws are deer antlers (an image of the piece is on his website). Another of Brick’s lifecast sculptures was purchased by the Boston Lifecasting Museum, and he has fulfilled many fascinating lifecasting-based sculptural commissions. He and Annette will be showing several of his pieces at the Toronto “One-of-a-Kind Show” from November 27 to December 7.
Love Child
The journey to the inner world started in grade school when his teachers described him as “a dreamer living in his own world.” Jamie’s fertile imagination provided him with an irresistible antidote to the tedium of rote learning — fantasy. His startling blue eyes twinkle with pleasure as he reminisces about his adventures rafting down the St. Lawrence River looking for nymphs and mermaids as a young boy growing up in Kingston. He has always loved things medieval and tells me, “If it were possible, I feel like I could have been the love child of Dr. Seuss and J. R. R. Tolkien.” His art supports his claim. So does his functional Bizarrebecue — he takes orders for his cement barbecue shaped like a dragon.
He met Annette in public school and married her 28 years ago. During the ten years Jamie worked at the Alcan plant in Kingston he had many hours to fill as he periodically checked gauges on the furnace he was tending. It was Annette’s gift of a carving set that started him whittling while he worked. His folk art objects began to sell at craft shows, and when the plant closed, the couple decided to follow Jamie’s parents’ advice: “It’s more important to be happy than to worry about what you do.” His parents also didn’t mind that he said he was raised by medieval rabbits.
Jamie and Annette moved to the old Stoness family property at Draper Lake where Jamie loved working at home and caring for their two daughters. He will be forever grateful that Annette enjoys her work at Queen’s University. It wasn’t until she was almost through high school that daughter Tiffany confronted Jamie with her new discovery that “This isn’t normal! Most kids’ fathers don’t make things in bottles!” Take a look at his galleries on his website to see Santa in a bottle, to laugh at his whimsical pieces, and to marvel at his spectacular lifecast sculptures.
Tripping the Light Fantastic
Having just driven the last five isolated kilometres to the Brick’s century-old cabin nestled in the magical forest at the edge of Draper Lake, I fully appreciate the unique environment Jamie and Annette have created for their family. The lake is a pristine, private jewel, with no public access. During the ice storm a decade ago, the family went for four days with no contact between Annette who was stranded in Kingston with their older daughter, and Jamie who was stranded at Bear Bottom Studio with their younger daughter. Jamie worked into the nights clearing fallen trees by the lights of his truck until the family was safely reunited.
Unless you get to Toronto for the annual “One-of-a-Kind Christmas Show”, you’ll have to wait until driving conditions improve to view Jamie’s unique art at Bear Bottom Studio. Each summer the Bricks host a “Fantasy in the Forest Art Show & Sale” that brings together over twenty artists. Last year they shuttled over 500 guests from Perth Road Village (between Kingston and Westport) to visit their 13th show. The free admission event is held the third weekend of July, so mark your calendars now for July 18 & 19, or even easier, just keep checking theHumm’s monthly calendars. Jamie is represented at a number of galleries — you can check his website www.JamieBrick.com or you can contact him by phone at 353-1997 or by email. Do it faeryly soon if you want to order some of the most imaginative and irresistible Christmas decorations I’ve ever come across.