Hiway16 Magazine... about people and places in north-central British Columbia, Canada

PAGE ONE
OF THREE

Art Rocks

by Tammy Lipke

Pick up a plain river rock. Look at it closely because there is an animal inside, waiting to be admired, sitting on your desk.

Sound silly? Wait until you see the work of Telkwa artist, Barb Parfitt.
Wolves, owls, dogs, bears, penquins, you name an animal and Barb has probably created one from a simple stone.

Artist Barb Parfitt

The first time I was aware of the work of Telkwa artist Barb Parfitt was at the home of my hairdresser. The hairdresser had tiny animal figurines for sale on a shelf. I admired them from a distance until, one day, I spotted a horse I simply had to have. I picked up the unique little figurine to discover that it was not clay, but a small stone. I was hooked. My stylist told me that she sold them for a lady in Telkwa, and after the purchase, I never gave it more thought.

A large rock horse, a great door stop

Later, I was talking to Connie Helps, the clock maker, for a previous article. I was upstairs in Connie's home, and came face-to-face with another intriguing collection of rock animals, from the tiniest stone, to a horse large enough to require two adults to carry it. Connie asked...would I like to meet the artist, the same artist who created the figures on the hairdresser's shelf? Turns out that artist Barb Parfitt is Connie's neighbour. Lucky me.






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