Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A group of local artists have given new life to some rusty garden tools, re-purposing them into a unique floral display outside of Country Traditions.
Previously discarded shovels, rakes and hoes were upcycled into canvases, painted with a wide assortment of flowers. The handles were painted various shades of green to look like a stem and then affixed to a rock garden below the store’s sign.
The creative display came from the mind of Tim Nimigan, local artist who is also the talent behind the Beaver’s Our Town comic strip.
“I would find these rusty implements at yard sales and auctions, going for next to nothing,” said Nimigan. “I would think there must be something we could do with those in terms of an art project. That’s when I really sort of started working with the idea of instead of the implements being for the garden, what if they were the garden? That’s how the concept started in my head.”
Not wanting to copy another artist’s idea, Nimigan searched the web to see if perhaps he had unwittingly seen the idea somewhere else. When his search came up empty, he was good to go.
“I introduced the idea to the GNAAA (Greater Napanee Area Arts Association) and most of the artists that helped are from the group,” said Nimigan.
Artists involved in the project include Gerry Hogaboam, Lois Sexsmith, Linda Downey, Michelle Hutchison, Barbara Grawberger, Joanne Kells Chalmers, Lorraine Shaw, Sherry Pringle, while Diane Cote, Marion Morgan, Jeannene Webb, Primrose Craig, Carol Jackson, Jessica Doner and Nimigan both painted and worked on the ‘planting’ of the concrete garden, with help from County Tradition’s Suzanna Stevens and Greg Stevens as well as Jim Jackson.
The painting itself was completed over a year ago, the biggest challenge then being finding a home for the garden. Nimigan scouted a few locations before landing on County Traditions, which is located at 112 Industrial Blvd.
“County Traditions having that country theme, it seemed like a good fit,” said Nimigan.
That location also has the added benefit of spreading more art through the community, joining the two pallet’able art displays-one at Shelin Pools, the other and Davis and Davis, as outdoor art found in the industrial side of town.
Nimigan noted Country Traditions staff has been gracious hosts, both in preparing the area and helping with the set up of the display as well as providing gift certificates for each of the artists involved.