Musician enters new territory

Ari Neufeld is a familiar face to music fans in the Okanagan. Whether it’s on the street, in the clubs or even his recent gig at the Roots and Blues festival in Salmon Arm, he’s made a name for himself throughout the region and beyond.

On the other hand, Ari Neufeld the artist is almost unknown. That’s because he’s only been focusing on this aspect of his creativity for a short time.

“I just started throwing together art pieces in my spare time, and all of a sudden there is a big demand for them,” said Neufeld, who started creating his three-dimensional art in formed stone earlier this year.

The first public showing of his work opens today, as part of a grand opening celebration of Accent Living, on Fairview Road in Penticton.

“The response has just been tremendous,” said Neufeld. “When I first developed it, my goal was to have it in the gallery within 12 months. To have it up here, within a few months … it’s just incredible.”

Neufeld creates his pieces on concrete board, starting with a basic shape, which he then covers in the liquid stone material and begins shaping, using a series of acid washes and pigment stains before sealing the surface.

“Sometimes, after I seal it, I go at it again. A lot of these renderings have up to 20 applications of colours, sand and materials. It adds a lot of dimension,” said Neufeld. “Everyday is a learning experience. Right now, I’m learning how to create my own coppers and bronzes.”

Rather than spreading himself thin, Neufeld sees this new work as just an extension of his career. Part of his career plans, he said, was to be flexible enough to be an artist as well as a musician.

“I put a very high value on being creative, be it writing or singing, choreographing something or this work,” he said. “If anything, it’s enabled me more as a musician. It’s also really fun to celebrate that other side of me with my musical audiences and turn them on to the art.”

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