My Story
The idea of using the theme of country churches for some of my miniature metal landscapes is almost 10 years old. It was working on Craftyear 2007 that gave me the impetus to commit to the project. I travelled around Alberta with my camera, looking for churches, talking to archivists, and I realised that this project went much deeper than pretty buildings. It was the story of the people who created these buildings that mattered to me. I am in awe at the sheer energy that they must of had, the level of commitment, and the drive that was required to provide a house of worship, and a spiritual home for their families and futures. I also love the energy of each of these sites, each different but with a wonderful serene common feeling.
It was a joy to finally have the skill to portray these places in layers of finally detailed metal. After a year of planning, and three road trips exploring Alberta, I looked at over 150 churches, and photographed almost 100. From these I selected 15 for my exhibition. I based my choices primarily on the buildings themselves, my feelings and reactions while being in their presence. I then realized that I had to include representatives of the various religions representing the settlers, whose stories that I wished to tell.