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visual arts Ian Rowles Creates Sculpture from Stone He finds much of the inspiration for his work in the rock itself. He deliberately looks for rocks that suggest to him a specific shape or form. "If I find a piece of stone that has a shape that suggests something, then I go from there," he explains. "Or, alternately--more often, I'll have something in mind and then I'll go looking for the stone that will match it. You can go in either direction." Rowles shows me the small studio inside his home where he refines most of his work. Small hand and electrical tools fill a dusty little room that has a breathtaking view of Burrard Inlet. A partially finished marble sculpture of a beluga whale sits on the worktable. This is the room where Rowles first began working with granite and marble. He is one of only a few Lower Mainland artists who sculpts in hard rock. Many of Rowles' pieces depict animals. He is careful to point out that he does not aim for anatomical correctness in his work. "Even when I do these animal pieces." explains Rowles, "I don't look at pictures...I don't want it to look like I'm trying to copy something. I'm not trying to make scale models. I'm trying to convey my impression of what it is." He turns his attention to a buffalo sculpture standing stoically under the fireplace. "I just started doing these buffalo this year," says Rowles. "I think it's totally original. I've never seen anyone else do one this way. The fact that it has a rough finish appeals to me. I want it to look like what it is: just a rock out of the river." Rowles' sculptures have proven popular with many collectors, both at home and abroad. He has never had any trouble selling his work and regularly exhibits his sculptures in local galleries. Despite his success, Rowles is not particularly concerned by Dianne Mackay _M_an Rowles sits in the living room of his rustic West Vancouver home, contemplating the menagerie of stone animals and abstract forms that surround him. These sculptures are all Rowles' creations. Owls, bears, whales, otters: each piece bares the distinctive right angles and flat surfaces that have become Rowles' trademark. "The most for the least." This is one of Rowles' favourite expressions, a phrase that he uses repeatedly as he describes to me his minimalist approach to art. Using simple strokes and cuts, Rowles reshapes ordinary stone into powerful impressions of animals and images. m i d A tasteful collection of traditional & untraditional crafts & home decor chosen for your Westcoast lifestyle.This season we feature glorious handknitted designs by Lynne Turner of England. Sweaters, vests, hats, gloves and more! Discover us again and capture the warm spirit of... Sjylvxm 3080 Edgemont Blvd. N o r t h Vancouver, 986-4863 about the whims of the marketplace. Lately, he has begun to lose interest in animal forms and has started experimenting with more abstract images. "From here on in I intend to do more of the type of thing I just like doing," Rowles declares. "After all, I'm nearly 65 years old!" Rowles has often led life on his own terms. He emigrated to Canada from England at the age of 19. after being thrown out of a prestigious boarding school. Always entrepreneurial, Rowles worked in a variety of businesses over the course of his life, eventually finding his niche as a toy distributor. "I realized early on in life that I had to be self-employed." Rowles admits. "I wasn't a very good employee." Rowles began to explore the creative side of his psyche only after retiring early at the age of 50. His wife had left and his children were grown: the time had come. Rowles decided, to "do what the hell I wanted."