Sooner or later, everyone finds his or her own true talent, and carver Chris Aldcroft says he found his talent at an early age at the dinner table.
The 100 Mile House man has been sculpting since childhood, first moulding the food on his dinner plate that he and his siblings didn't want, then moving on to soapstone, jade, ivory and almost anything else he could get his hands on.
Art has been the focus for most of his life, and for many years, he worked from his studio in Rocky Mountain House, Alta., where he also provided art therapy for developmentally delayed youth.
"I've always believed that art heals and that art is truth," says the 57-year-old self-proclaimed mountain man.
Aldcroft also worked for Shell Oil, and during that time, the company asked him for one of his sculptures. It was presented as a gift to Canadian environmental activist David Suzuki. It was an honour that Aldcroft still holds dearly.
With a piece of his own sculpture always in the works, he was able to amass a sizable collection of which he was proud. They were his heart and soul, but most were lost when his studio tragically burned down about decade ago.
Re-established for a short time in Ottawa, he set up a new studio in what had been a coffee shop, carving by the light of a street front bay window, and sharing coffee with those who came in to chat.
Some of his pieces were shown in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and Aldcroft says he's received relative assurance that once he has a full complement of pieces, they will be accepted as a permanent show in the gallery.
It's a goal he works on now from his home studio in 100 Mile, which he calls "The Starving Artist."
He's hampered now by a serious back injury that almost took his life and left him paralyzed for some time. He was expected to die within five years, he says, but used his knowledge of martial arts and yoga, and the healing power of stone to get back on his feet.
Aldcroft notes every step he takes is still a physical and mental challenge, but adds he pushes himself in much the same way he pushes the physical properties of the stone he sculpts.
His intricately detailed carvings each tell a story that progresses and draws you deeper as you turn the piece.
Aldcroft says "environmental Canadian work" best describes his style and it's evident in his pieces that scream of the wrongdoings of man against Mother Earth.
He goes to nature for inspiration and works a piece of stone with as much ease and confidence as he would a chunk of soap.
"I love detail and I'm always testing where my limits are," he says, adding inspiration for each piece comes from the stone itself.
"The stone speaks to me. I'll study it and see something within it."
Always in pain from his injury, Aldcroft says relief comes only when he can lose himself in his carving.
"Then there is no pain. Carving is my saviour."
For a five-year period, he laid down his tools and only picked them up again recently on the insistence of a friend.
"I was just kind of broken and having a difficult time. Now, again, my goal is the pursuit of excellence in art and I want to take as many people down the path as I can."
