‘I’ve been able to even surprise myself’: Sask. artist finds new way to paint nature scenes

WATCH: A famous Saskatchewan artist has found a new medium for his renowned nature scenes, which has provided a stepping stone to the next phase of his career.

A renowned Saskatchewan artist has discovered a new medium for his nature scenes, marking a significant step forward in his career.

Glen Scrimshaw, who has spent nearly 40 years capturing nature in his art, initially began painting rocks as a craft project for his grandkids — but it evolved into a “rock-solid” new creative outlet.

“I’ve been painting on rocks ... It’s a very interesting medium,” Scrimshaw told CTV News.

He started putting his creations on rocks in May and found that people were very interested in the new approach.

“Rocks are not like paper, they don’t absorb the paint. They’re textured in different ways. Every rock is different. I find it very, very challenging,” he said.

The finished rocks range in price depending on various factors.

“It all depends on the size and how complex they are,” he said.

Since all rocks are different, so is the art.

“If I’m painting a sunset and there’s some texture on the bottom, I can make it look like a bank full of snow,” Scrimshaw said.

“And I’ve been able to even surprise myself, because some of them, it almost feels like I can step into them.”

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He doesn’t just pick up a rock and start painting. It’s a varied process to decide what he’s going to create.

“Sometimes that process takes five minutes, and this one I’ve been looking at for a month and a half,” he said.

With most of his art over the years, he’s given a portion of the proceeds to charity — and in this case, with the rocks, he chose The Meewasin Valley Authority.

“We’ve been thrilled to connect with Glen this year. It’s been amazing to work with him and to have him choose Meewasin as the charity of choice to receive a portion of the proceeds from his rock paintings,” Nikki Moggey, Meewasin donation specialist, told CTV News.

Scrimshaw’s style and themes tie in well with what Meewasin does.

“Instead of hanging something on the wall, you can have something sitting at your desk or it can be part of your home decor. We also love how it’s connecting people to nature,” she added.

Most of Scrimshaw’s works are nature scenes, true to his style, but the first one he sold was a round rock painted to look like a deluxe cheeseburger. The owner of the restaurant at Gather Market, Deadly Dan’s, couldn’t resist and bought it.

Whether it’s painting burgers or learning the idiosyncrasies of painting on uneven rock, Scrimshaw is proving his abilities and potential are not set in stone.

“You can never stop learning. Every day I learn something new. And the rocks, I look at them differently, and there are ideas flying through me,” he added.

“It’s just so interesting and so invigorating.”