FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Continuing the KY Artisan Tradition, The Beattyville Enterprise – January 7, 2016

Submitted by Allen Booth

When a man does what he loves, he never has to work a

day in his life.

     Most artists, whether artisans

or performers, don’t have the opportunity to spend all their time creating art   

     Most work at jobs, raise families, and participate in the community then, when all other

time to be creative.

Whether a mother getting up an hour before her husband

and children to write her novel at the end of the day, picking

his guitar, singing an original song, a teen working well beyond their bedtime writing

a game program; age, gender, and art form don’t limit ability

being creative.

     If lucky, sometimes a person’s art brightens the lives of

others.

     If lucky, someone

actually, pays for an expression of art, but the true excitement

is knowing something was brought into this world based

on personal inspiration and skill.

     Lawrence Holland of Beattyville is such an artist, he was six years old. Though many of his carvings are made out of cedar, pine, and oak, he will use whatever he can

folk art.wood is only the beginning, he

embellishes his creations with common things like giving a

man hair from the cotton of a q-tip or paints and adds ribbon to make them ornaments.

     He specializes in farm equipment, but also does fishing gear, animals, and many other items. He goes where his muse

takes him.

     This past Christmas, Lawrence was asked to make

carved ornaments for the 1940’s Christmas tree for Calvary Temple Worship Center’s

Holiday Band Production (the ornaments are pictured

in the foreground).    

     Lawrence is shown holding an angel he

created for a lady in the church as well as a cardinal on a bird

feeder.

     Lawrence’s gifts are

unique because, like all artisans and artists, when he carves, he gives a piece of

himself, which cannot be duplicated.

     There is no mass production or computer model or copying of his pieces. Even if

he chooses to carve the same

thing twice each is completely

different, which makes each one a first edition.