LAE ap hee Feature TaeReview Wednesday, August 1,1990 — B2 Competition sharpens carving skills i BRINGING THE FIGURE out of the wood is local carver Doug La Fortune, watched by son Little Bear. La Fortune, 36, has been carving for 18 years. by Valorie Lennox The Review After 18 years of effort, Doug La Fortune is carving himself a name in the competitive field of native art. His wood carvings are found in many shops, including the B.C. Provincial Museum shop and the new Cowichan Native Heritage Centre. For the centre he is finish- ing the second of two 12-foot figures and will also create a 24 foot by eight foot wall plaque. Last April he completed a 23- foot totem pole, which was erected in May outside an Edmonton tele- vision station. He is now finishing a smaller replica of the pole for inside the station. This weekend, he will be dis- playing his work and demonstrat- ing carving during the First Peo- ple’s Festival at the Royal B.C. Museum. But the increased recognition for his work and the increase in commissions is no reason to relax, he says. “Selling carvings — the market is SO competitive. You can’t sit back on your heels and say I’m the best around or you’ll get burnt,” La Fortune said. He also believes in being versa- tile. In addition to carving, he has created eight print designs which are reproduced on t-shirts, has art cards and prints featuring his work and paints drum designs. The basement workshop of his Tsawout Reserve home contains more samples of his work: a half-finished six-foot totem pole, masks and figures amid chips of red cedar, alder, yellow cedar and pine. He also carves rattles and dishes, working from two to ten hours daily, depending on how the project is progressing. At the native heritage centre he demon- strates and explains his work for six to eight hours daily. The time spent on each piece varies from a few days or weeks for a small piece or mask to several months for a totem pole. He often sketches out the design ahead of time, then finds the figure changing as he carves. “Sometimes it just comes out of ee Church Services the wood.” Making a living through wood- carving has not always been easy. La Fortune remembers when a mask sold for $30, half of which was paid in grocenes. “When I first started, my goal was to sell carvings to the museum gift shop in Victoria.” In 1975, three years after he started carving, _ La Fortune sold his first piece to the museum shop. Before starting to carve, he tried many jobs. Laboring, dish wash- ing, installing gutters, logging and digging ditches — none of them seemed right. He had always excelled in art and completed an art course at Camosun College. In 1972 he approached master carver Simon Charlie in Duncan, asking if Char- lie would share his skills. Charlie agreed. For the next three to four months, La Fortune studied with the well-known car- ver, learning how to use the differ- ent carving tools. “Then I went out on my own, went into the market mght away. I've been carving ever since.” Kathy La Fortune helps her husband promote his work and will also be participating in the First People’s festival. Daughter Angie was a runner-up in the Miss Victoria Native pageant last year. The family, including 12-year- old Monique, 17-year-old Angie and eight-year-old Little Bear, moved to the Tsawout Reserve last winter. FRIENDSHIP BAPTIST | CHURCH 7820 Central Saanich Rd. _ GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH : ST. MARY’S (Reformed Church in Canada) Sunday Worship & Sunday School ANGLICAN CHURCH | @ 10:00 a.m. at Keating Elem. School, 6843 Central Saanich Rd. SAANICHTON “As for me and my house, we will Sunday, August 5th serve the Lord” - Jos. 24:15 f Rev. Stephen Swift 652-9635) 8:15 a.m. ........ Holy Communion 9:45 A.M...-...s0es-0-- Sunday School 11:00 a.m......... Morning Worship 6:30 p.m...........- Evening Worship MID WEEK BIBLE STUDIES Pastors Ernie Kratofil and Rob Parker CHURCH 652-2723 HOME 652-4837 479-8643 _ 10:00 a.m. .......... Sung Eucharist Wed. 10:00 a.m. ....Holy Communion Rev. Murray Ames 652-3822 Church 652-1611 Anglican - Espiscopal Book of Common Prayer SAANICH PENINSULA CHRISTADELPHIANS Moose Hall 7925 E. Saanich Rd. Memorial Meeting 11:15 a.m. 652-3606 ST. STEPHEN’S awe Rev. LESLIE M. FUNK Zz 5363 Patricia Bay Highway jaye >_> Victoria, B.C. V8Y 1S9 “~ 10:30 a.m. Children’s GhuIch..........2+----cc-ceeereceeeeeeeeeeeenee 11:00 a.m. Sunday Evening Service...........---:-::--:seseree---+ 6:30 p.m. PASTOR LARRY GESSNER LIFE. 474-2520 FELLOWSHIP’ 9995 5TH ST. 656-3544 | Ron & Eunice Freeman welcome you fo [ PENINSULA ALLIANCE CHURCH 4ih & Mt. Baker, Sidney 656-9957 SUNDAY : 10:00 A.M......--..ceeeeeree Family Worship & Children’s Church | A Caring Fellowship for the Whole Family SAANICHTON BIBLE FELLOWSHIP 2159 Mt. 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Stephen Pessah (652-7779) Sunday Mass ............. 12:30 p.m. 1 > = = SIDNEY PENTECOSTAL CHURCH - ST. PAULS 10364 McDonald Park Rd. Sidney BC. UNITED CHURCH V8L 3Z9 Pastor: David Hauser OF CANADA 10:30 a.m............... Sunday Moming Service jj; 2410 Malaview Includes “SUPER - CHURCH” for ; 00!10:00 a.m. children ages 2 - 11 years! | Family Worship SSUES am. 5 ; i REV. JIM ALLAN 6:00 P.iMiecvsseceecceeeseesennsssseeene--EVENING SOFVICE f; H 656-1596 For mid-week services call 656-3712 _{j| 696-3213 Ome PENINSULA PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLY 5506 Oldfield Road 40:30 a.m....Sunday Worship Service Include Summer Sunday School Session 6:30 P.M.....-cescssececesesenseeeee Evening Service PASTOR DAVID A. McALISTER 479-6237 Church 652-9589 Res. Attend Church This Week