8. Sam Spencer
Kill (sic) (Leopard and Deer)
carved wood, enamel
27.7 x 29.5 x 3.8 cm
1980
Saskatchewan Arts Board Permanent Collection
1992-307

About The Artist

Born in Worcester, England in 1898, Arthur Spencer (nicknamed Sam) was orphaned at an early age and immigrated to Canada with his paternal grandmother in 1903.  He grew up on a homestead in the Touchwood Hills near Punnichy, Saskatchewan with his grandmother and an uncle.  In this isolated setting, Spencer had no opportunity to attend school so he developed his reading and writing skills by studying the bible.  His occupations as a trapper, construction worker and farmer reflected his lifelong interest in nature and wildlife. 

In 1924 on the farm Spencer began carving, an activity that he continued after he retired in Saskatoon in 1941.  Spencer set self-imposed standards for his carving.  He worked directly, using a jackknife and a paring knife modified with a curved tip for carving out difficult areas.  In most of the works, the frame and image were carved from a single block of wood.  No carved elements could be glued or attached later.  His carved images which expressed his deep appreciation for the natural world were informed by his memory and combined with popular culture and religious icons.