Stephen McLean
Objective :
This is the hardest part for me. I prefer to convey a message or emotion in stone not words. I love transforming a solid motionless block of stone into something more; showing emotion, movement, imagination, that is what I love about carving. I have evoked laughter, curiosity and even a few tears with my works. I learned the basics from a tremendous group of artists from Tukuoyuktuk that took me under their wing and accepted me with no conditions. I spent 4 years carving with them in an old garage in Yellowknife and it changed me forever. Blake Noksana, Derrald Tayor and John Sabourin each in their own way helped me develop my own style. They are all gifted
artists and incredible people that I am luck to have met.
Experience:
In the beginning I was born….I am Canadian, born in Germany the youngest of three. My father was a RCAF mechanicposted overseas. From there we moved every three years or so across Canada (including middle school here in Winnipeg) finally calling Ottawa home. After swearing I would never follow in my father’s footsteps I joined the military as a Medic when I finished High school. It was a great adventure but after 10 years I wanted a change. In 1998 I transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force as a pilot and my longing for travel was again satisfied. Just as my father did I have dragged my family from province to province and country to country experiencing all that the World has to offer.
Military:
For many military and artist are two words that don’t really go together. I guess that I have always been a bit outside the normal mould; for me it has been a good fit. As a pilot I have seen Canada from a perspective that many will never truly get to experience. The vast beauty of the North, the winding valleys of the Rockies or the ragged shores of the East coast. I must admit though that my heart is still in the North.
The military has given me experiences that I would have never otherwise explored. You find inspiration in the strangest of places. My best find was simple metal sculpture or a polar bear that I found in a dusty market in Afghanistan. I spent 7 months there and it was by far the best experience in my military career. A positive life changing experience yet at times some of the worst days I have ever experienced.
Education:
Carleton University Carleton, where the K stands for Quality. I enrolled into Biology at Carleton but quickly fell in love with the School of Industrial Design. It was a mix of art, design and engineering that quickly became my passion. I graduated with a BA from Carleton in 1998 but have never stopped learning from my life experiences.
Shows
Voted the Emerging Artist of the Year at the Great Northern Arts Fest in 2005. I was the exclusive sculptor at Birchwood Gallery in Yellowknife from 2003-2006. Since then I have done mainly consignment work shipping across Canada and the US. Most recent my work was in Ludolf Grolle’s gallery here in Winnipeg.