Ray Fenwick
Artist, Illustrator
Halifax
Ray Fenwick is an artist and illustrator living in
1. Wolf & Cub Scout Handbook
I picked up a Wolf & Cub Scout Handbook (circa 1970) a couple weeks back at a used book store and it quickly rose to the top of my internal New York Times bestsellers list. It's essentially the combination of a moral instruction manual and a DIY how-to guide, covering everything from making a beanbag toss game to helping out around the house. I had assumed that the book would be both funny and charming - it is - but I hadn't expected it to be so inspiring. It makes you want to make things and what's more, it actually helped me tie a tie, all on my own, for the first time ever. I am 31, by the way.
2. Jetstream Balsa Glider
Such a simple and satisfying little machine, the Jetstream Balsa Glider (with propeller) is nothing more than a couple chunks of balsa wood, an elastic and a plastic propeller. Wind the propeller up with your finger, then let go of it, and fipfipfipfip the thing actually flies, gliding three times further than you thought it would. When is the last time that something unassuming far exceeded your expectations? Well, just keep a Jetstream handy and you'll always have an answer to that question.
3. Hobby Stores
Have you been to one of these recently? I went to pick up the aforementioned glider and had a fantastic time browsing around. I could have spent hours just looking at all the model railroad accessories. Look, it's a miniature family, and the dad is fixing the miniature tire under a working miniature streetlamp! I can definitely see where model-train enthusiasts are coming from. If I had enough money, I'd already be building my own surreal landscape, leaving out the trains completely.
4. Black Tide
Black Tide is a heavy metal band that sounds kind of like a combination of Iron Maiden and AC/DC, with plenty of hooks, double kick-drum and double guitar solos. What's great about this band - aside from the fact that the singer is only fifteen years old - is that it's such dangerously catchy music you don't have to be a hardcore metal fan to love it. Or perhaps that's not true and I am only excited because it taps in to my adolescent core.
5. Friendship Bracelets
I recently became obsessed with the idea of friendship bracelets, those colourful little woven bracelets that kids used to make for each other to symbolize their friendship, to make it official. There is something sweet about them, simplifying the idea of friendship, making it explicit and almost serving as a tribute to the very concept. I love things like this, so ridiculous and silly on one hand and yet, kind of profound and complex. I painted a bunch of them over the past month.
