A man walks into an art gallery carrying garbage bags filled with his artwork.
It sounds like the start of something funny but it was no joke when it really happened at Two Rivers Gallery this week.
Kristina Sokolic of the Shop at the Gallery and assistant curator Maeve Hanna were shocked as the stunning pieces by acclaimed First Nations artist Larry Parenteau came out of the garbage bags one by one.
For Parenteau, it's all about the joy his art brings to the viewers of his work.
"I want to bring joy to the children of Mother Earth," he said.
After a seven year hiatus, his friend Whitney Prouse asked Parenteau, also known as Thunder or Wakeeya, why he didn't paint any more.
Parenteau, 60, responded to the question with another question.
"Why don't you get me a canvas? I'll paint again," said Parenteau, a self-taught acrylic-on-canvas artist who used to work as a drug and alcohol counselor.
The 16 pieces of Native art, depicting such themes as wisdom, courage and patience, are the result.
"Once I start, there's no stopping," Parenteau said of his bouts of marathon painting. "I don't sleep until the piece is done. It's like somebody else is doing it."
Born in Smithers, of Cree/Carrier heritage, Parenteau had a difficult past, growing up in the lower east end of Vancouver. He finds it difficult to express himself through words, letting his artwork speak for him.
With his permission, Prouse spoke on behalf of the artist.
"His past is really why he paints," said Prouse. "He paints to create happiness. He has seen so much sadness around him and he originally wanted to paint for children to make them happy."
Parenteau's motivation to paint is to save the Earth and he uses vibrant colour to create a happy viewing experience, Prouse said.
"Everywhere you look, you see garbage, you see poverty, you see despair and his artwork grew out of those things," said Prouse. "He is a natural artist, a true artist. This man is self-taught."
Parenteau's work is on display at the Shop at the Gallery in the Two Rivers Gallery.
For more information about his work call Sokolic at 250-614-7800.
