Canadian. C. 1975. Carved and painted softwood. A carved bust of an unsmiling man painted in strong enamel colours of blonde hair, blue eyes, and an orange-toned face. It's mounted on a painted rectangular wooden plinth. Attributed to Philip Melvin. 13.25" x 7.5" x 5.75". From the Marty Osler Collection. Folk artist Philip Melvin (1938-2010) was born in La Manche, Newfoundland, and later settled in Toronto. The self-proclaimed 'Man from La Manche' was known for his wood carvings and paintings, as well as poetry. He worked primarily with 'as found' materials such as wood panels from construction sites for his low relief carvings and paintings. His art often reflected people in society, religion and politics, with a theme of human foolishness at the forefront. Melvin is listed in Kobayashi and Bird’s important reference book “A Compendium of Canadian Folk Artists.” His work is pictured in the book “From the Heart - Folk Art in Canada” and his work is also on display in the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.

Shrinkage crack and associated paint loss.