Recently, Les invited us for a visit to Powell River where he showed us around his bright and charming home/studio, a favourite skate spot, a stunning beach, and his go-to thrift store.
Read the full interview below.
VANS OLD SKOOL
Could you give us a brief introduction, where you are from, where you are currently, and what you do?
I grew up skateboarding in White Rock, BC, and I currently live/work in Powell River, BC. I’m an artist that works in painting, sculpture, and needlepoint.
LES WEARS THE VANS AUTHENTIC VR3 IN BLACK/MARSHMELLOW
How did this home/studio space come to be?
My partner Colleen Heslin and I decided that we wanted a break from city life and to live/work rurally. We found a lovely place that had a few extra outbuildings on the property, and so Colleen was super keen for us to design and renovate it as our dream studio.
What are some of your favorite aspects of your home/studio space and living in PR in general?
The best part about the home studio is that we rebuilt and finished it to become our forever studio. The large windows that Colleen collected for years now brighten up the place and let tons of natural light in. The place is tucked into the woods so it allows us a zone to reflect while surrounded by nature.
COLLEEN WEARS THE VANS AMZN TRAILHEAD
Your partner Colleen Heslin is also an artist, how have both of your practices inspired one another and is there ever any collaboration?
Colleen and I are always in each other's studios, giving feedback and we end up talking a lot about colour. We’ve recently started to collaborate via my needlepoint practice. We choose a painting of hers that we would like to see as a scaled-down embroidery, and I do the needlework. The framing selections are made by the two of us as well.
How has living in Powell River influenced your artwork?
Living on the Sunshine Coast has influenced my work in many ways. It’s helped me to slow down and think longer about formal decisions, and of course, the trees, the animals, the sky, and the water has inspired me the most. Annual Local forest fires have been a topic in some of my paintings, as well as birds, fish, and whales.
How would you describe your artwork? What are some of the themes or concepts that inform your practice?
I have a studio-based art practice that includes collection and assemblage, using domestic craft, textiles, folk art, and kitsch as inspiration and material components for the production of larger paintings and sculptures. Considering the materiality of the every day and tropes within pop culture and art history, my practice merges craft with abstraction and representation, using modes of collage and brushwork to generate layered formal outcomes. Humor and balance are key compositional activators, and a sense of formal “off-ness” is key within the work.
LES WEARS THE VANS OLD SKOOL IN NAVY/GREEN
Who or what has been inspiring you lately?
I get inspired by things around me, so I visit second-hand stores regularly.
What role has skateboarding played in your life?
Skateboarding was my life growing up, I met all of my best friends through skating, and it kept me out of trouble. It's always been my passion but now that I'm getting older it's also my primary mode of exercise.
What music have you currently been listening to?
Lately, I've been listening to a lot of new indie rock and old jazz.
Can you tell us about your recent collaboration with Pylon Skateboards?
Pylon reached out to me about doing a board graphic and perhaps some other kind of skate merch. We came to the decision to use an image of one of my embroideries, we used a raised ink technique on the graphic to give the texture of the textile. I also made the text on the deck white on white with raised ink, so it's subtle until you scratch off the paint and the raised areas begin to show. We also made a corduroy cap with a cat on it and a beach towel with one of my paintings on it.
Do you remember your first pair of Vans? Or have a memorable pair?
I think my first pair of Vans were black Skate Hi's, in the early 90s. In high school, we used to use bleach and an old toothbrush to dye our shoes different colors. The black canvas and suede would turn a reddish yellow from the bleach. The most memorable Vans I skated were the Mike Carroll's, they were soft leather and designed like a half cab. They were wonderful shoes.
