Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Repulse Bay (Sep 28/05) - Winnipeg-based artist Gerald Kuehl paid a visit to Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay during his trek across the region this past month.

Kuehl spent time in a number of Kivalliq hamlets photographing elders.

He will pencil sketch many of the elders whose image he captured in his Winnipeg studio this winter.

Tusarvik teacher Stan Meredyk said Kuehl showed examples of his artwork to senior students at the school.

He said the students were quite impressed by the level of detail in the drawings.

"He (Kuehl) didn't give them lessons, tips or anything like that," said Meredyk.

"He spoke to them about his art and the amount of work that goes into each piece.

"Work as detailed as that takes days to complete. It's not something you sit down and produce in an hour."

During a previous visit to Repulse, Kuehl photographed and later sketched elder Felix Kopak before his death.

Kopak was the oldest resident of Repulse at the time, and the students were glad to see his image put to canvass.

Meredyk said Kuehl takes thousands of photos every year.

He said the artist is very particular about his subject, and takes dozens of photos from all different angles when he chooses an elder to draw.

"The more detailed the elder's face, the more excited about his subject Kuehl becomes.

"He was also selected to do a print featuring some of the best players to play in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets and that drawing was a big hit with the youth.

"Repulse is a pretty hockey-mad town, and the kids were quite impressed to see he'd been selected to do a drawing like that."

Meredyk said it's hard to know what, exactly, the students take from a presentation like Kuehl's.

He said you never know when an encounter with someone like the Winnipeg artist will ignite the spark of creativity inside a youth.

"Kuehl was blessed with this amazing talent and maybe a student looks at his work and becomes inspired to try drawing at that level themselves.

"Who's to say if you have talent like that if you're not willing to give it your best effort? You just never know unless you try."