Patrick Smith held his first woodcarving show in Depot Park in 1979. In 2005, he was commissioned to carve a walking stick for Nobel Peace Prize Winner Desmond Tutu.
Now, with over 29 years dedicated to woodcarving, Smith’s work is part of a one-man show at the Saniwax Gallery in the Park Trades Center in Kalamazoo. The show runs from June 2 ? 15 and features wood sculpture, furniture, hand cast resin and other experimental pieces.
‘The art work is a process art, meaning it’s a hands-on thing’It’s invigorating to see how the project goes from an idea and through all the hassles of working that idea to the finished project,? said Smith, who works primarily by hand using traditional wood carving techniques.
While Smith, now a Kalamazoo resident, can carve any number of items of various themes, he enjoys carving pieces reflecting Native American Art. He currently is working on a nine-foot totem pole for his display in June.
Even with a show approaching, life as an artist poses the usual challenges for Smith who spends about five or six hours a day carving. He supplements his payment for artwork, which is inconsistent and unpredictable, by painting and doing maintenance work for the Park Trades Center which hosts over 35 art studios.
‘The biggest challenge is to keep believing in myself as an artist and to keep keeping on. There’s no guarantees. I don’t know when the next person will call. It’s the great unknown. That is the biggest thrill and the greatest danger to fall prey to,? said Smith.
‘I run into a lot of artists here who for the life of them, they can’t explain why they put so much on the line. It’s not a big business.?
Smith’s fascination with woodcarving blossomed as he was visiting relatives in Germany over the 1977 summer.
‘I was visiting my grandmother in Germany? My aunt had a nice garden I’d go sit in. I just picked up a garden stake and started carving. I just loved it and kept going,? said Smith.
During his career, Smith studied under three German woodcarvers. Twice while working as a civilian in Germany for the U.S. Army in the late1980’s and once with Georg Keilhofer in Michigan for five years earlier in the decade.
The year 2005 brought Smith a career highlight, as a student organization called PEACE JAM commissioned him to carve a walking stick for the 1984 Noble Peace Prize Winner Bishop Desmond Tutu.
‘You’re making a symbol for someone who themselves is a symbol. You have to get it right on the first time. It was very intimidating,? said Smith.
As General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, Tutu played a role as a unifying leader to resolve the problem of apartheid in South Africa, according to http://nobelprize.org.
Smith lived in the Clarkston area from 1960 to 1997. His family arrived when his father, William, became a tenured Latin teacher at Clarkston High School after several years bouncing around school districts in the state.
One of Smith’s fond memories was working a cable access TV show in Clarkston with John and Shirley Lynch in the late 1980’s. According to Smith, the Lynch’s encouraged him to have a woodcarving show and were excellent mentors.
?(His work gave) a feeling of something solid, of being safe and having comfort. There’s something about it, (the art) gives you a comfortable feeling,? said Shirley Lynch. ‘He definitely is dedicated. I think he goes out of his way to be an honest person and honest in his work.?
Taking a job in the Army again in 1997, Smith went back to Germany. While away, his mother, a widow, moved to Belleview. After his mother died in 2002, Smith went to Kalamazoo to play harmonica in a jazz band and carve.
Park Trades Center is located at 326 W. Kalamazoo Avenue in Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007. To contact Park Trades Center call 269-345-3311 or visit www.parktradescenter.com.