Our Hometown
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Clyde man is a chainsaw Rembrandt
Fritz Loomis, 35, is a self- taught artist whose medium is the hard and softwood trees of the area, and he wields a chainsaw with the finesse of a surgeon with a scalpel. It is apparent to passersby that the eagle, bears, and owls that materialized from his practiced blade are not your-run-of-the mill lawn ornaments. The eagle actually glowers, the owls stare, and the bear appears to be playing a tune on the banjo dangling from its neck. There's a pig too, but it's just standing there without trying to do anything exciting. Although he has dabbled in taxidermy and has always liked to draw, Fritz has one memory of his boyhood which might have triggered his interest in art. Doug, his father, constructed a wooden airplane, complete with wheels and a one-child seating capacity, and towed his son around the yard behind the family tractor. While this may not have been the experience that shaped the course of his future life, his parents' nurturing influence played a positive role in Fritz's upbringing and development of his talent. He narrowed his interest to wood carving a year or so ago. While helping his father during a small- scale logging operation, he began 'doodling' on a log with his saw, and despite the cumbersome nature of the tool, he was encouraged enough by the results to continue experimenting. He now produces saleable items to supplement income from a full-time job at Parker-Hannifin. He dubbed one of his creations the 'Bluegrass Bear,' honoring his dad's fondness for Bluegrass music. Shown with the artwork are Fritz, Mary, Cody and Owen Loomis. Most of his works require more than one saw. The larger blades carve out rough outlines, and the smaller, more tapered blades take care of the details that identify the piece as a bear, bird, or fish. He purchases wood from loggers, prefers walnut and pine, but also uses ash, hickory, and maple While attending North Rose-Wolcott High School, his talent caught the attention of art teacher Howard Skinner, whose encouragement enabled his pupil to win a summer art scholarship at SUNY Fredonia. Fritz's wife, Mary, 35, with torch and paint brush, puts the finishing touches on her husband's works of art. The surface of each carving has to be burned lightly and a coating of polyethylene added to weatherize the wood. For her own part, Mary also uses writing as her creative outlet. She corresponds with pen pals and is considering branching out to fiction. They have two boys, Owen, 10, and Cody, 6, and both seemed to have inherited the Loomis artistic flair. Owen, like many of his peers, is a Pokeman fan, and has an entire portfolio of free hand drawings based on the many characters in his set of Pokeman cards. The quality of his productions suggest an ability to also do well with other subjects. Cody has demonstrated an interest in carving, but his current passion is his collection of extremely realistic, pocket-size John Deere tractors and the miniaturized farming equipment which they pull. Given Cody's detailed knowledge of the models his collections represent, he might, when he becomes of age, deviate from the family tradition and opt for agriculture over art. Doug Loomis is a painter; some of his works are on display at the Free Methodist Church in Rose, and others are in his home. He's chosen a variety of subjects: a covered bridge in New England, New York harbor with the city skyline as backdrop, night scenes of a forest - with a realistic blending of shades which has you listening for the hoot of an owl. Recently I went to the Loomis home, leaned my bike against a post on the front lawn, followed the roar of the chainsaw and discovered the entire family, Carol and Doug, Mary, Owen, and Cody, all providing moral support for Fritz as his power tool put the final touches on a six-foot hardwood bench. This gifted and caring family represents the best of down-home America, the backyard tinkerers, artisans, and artists who enrich their communities with their creations. Copyright
©
2008 |
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Give him a pile of unfinished logs, a couple of weeks and a chainsaw, and he'll create art in somebody's back yard. In fact he's already done it, and it's in plain view on his parents' lawn in South Butler, on the west side of Rte. 89, just south of the crossroads.