Forged Expressions at Bittersweet Gallery with
Jack Stekelenburg “from crayons to curiosity”

Jack Stekelenburg has always been artistic, from the time he was a child colouring with crayons to the present,  creating abstract metal sculptures.   When asked, "Where do you get the ideas for your sculptures?" He replies, "the ideas are just there, inside my head… I just go and dig them out." Being curious is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation and learning and Jack has no shortage of it.

Like many of us, Stekelenburg has experienced what he calls "the interruptions of life"  such as family or career that often get in the way of pursuing that which we were once passionate about. These things are good but there comes a time when that which we were passionate about when we were young can be re-visited.  That is what Stekelenburg has done.  In 2005 he took a course in welding and oxy-acetylene cutting and began his career in metal sculpting. 

He was invited by the Bittersweet gallery to show his metal sculptures as a guest when the village of Burnstown hosted the Burnstown Affair of the Arts from 2005 to 2010.

Since then the gallery has witnessed  Jack's resolve and passion to become a full-time artist and has watched his work evolve to the point that clearly merits a solo show. Jack's curious character is evident in much of his work whether cleverly executed in freestanding modern abstracted forms, musical instruments, pirate ships,  or more familiar facial expressions.

Jack will be in attendance for the show's duration daily and will offer opportunities for visitors to compose and assemble from foraged metal materials he will have on hand. The compositions will be then taken to be forged at his own Walden Three Studio for a fee.

The outdoor show and sale opens on the grounds at Bittersweet Gallery Saturday, August 18 from 11 to 8 pm and continues to August 26. The gallery is open daily 11 to 5. 

For more details call: 613-432-5254 day or: 613-433-9990