Artist Details
John McInnis
Port Alberni, B.C.
John McInnis is a Vancouver Island artist originally from Sarnia, Ontario. With a childhood desire to experience the true north, John moved to the eastern arctic in 1991. For a year he lived with the Inuit, learning about their culture, art, and reverence for the land and its animals. There John met Jimmie Muckpah, a reverend Inuit carver. After seeing John shape a polar bear head ring, the reverend gave John a piece of carving rock, tools, $100, said something in Inuktutuk, then left. Shortly after, John carved the image of a narwhal, impressing his Inuit friends with his natural carving abilities. The landscape, wildlife and people of the arctic were both inspiration and the subject matter for his carvings.
In Port Alberni, British Columbia, John was further trained under Inuit carver Fred Iyak.
As an artist living on the west coast, nature, its images and forms continue to be an inspiration for John's soapstone carvings. His original 'West Coast Spirit Trees' have flow and movement, like the windswept trees on Vancouver Island. Some say they are reminiscent of Emily's Carr's depictions of giant firs and cedars. His sea stars, sea otters, octopi, birds and more are interpreted through stone in his distictive sensual, fluid style.
Hand carved and finished to a high polish, each of John's soapstone carvings are original, unique works of art and have been collected world-wide.
John and his wife Liisa live in the country, where they work together on their art in stone. They also grow produce for the Farmer's Market as well as raising free range chickens and ducks for eggs.
