George Sawchuk And His Magic, Battered Forest

"Mr. Sawchuk, 80, was a logger, fisherman, labourer and hobo until he lost his leg as the result of an industrial accident. With his first compensation cheque, he bought a chainsaw and began making notches in trees into which he inserted handmade wooden books that he filled with colourful quotations. He'd entered a new phase of his life.

"The forest gallery, which borders on his garden, blends with its surroundings. Some of the pieces are memorials to fellow labourers and artists; others are statements on humanity's dependency on oil, water and religion. Mr. Sawchuk refers to his creations as totems."

Another fine portrait of a working-class artist from Grant Shilling, in today's Globe and Mail.

I've wandered through George's forest with George and my kids. Astonishing place. And George's work is truly amazing. Can't be adequately captured in a gallery space, that's for sure. . .