Meet the Artist
Lorie Owens
Ever since I can remember I have loved working with tools. As a young teenager I had the choice of staying home with Mom on Saturdays to help with the housework, or going along with my two brothers to work with Dad, who was a building contractor. It's a good thing Mom had my younger sister around! I would spend Saturdays cleaning up the work site and pounding nails into siding, flooring and anything else that needed it. I learned to use a table saw, a skill saw, drills and most every other tool around.
Later on my love for animals led me to the interesting career of veterinary technician. I worked in vet clinics and even at a zoo. When I had children I really wanted to find work I could do from home. In 2002 I met Vickie Bricksaw. We hit it off right away and became great friends. Her family had just moved to British Columbia from Saskatchewan where she had been very successful as a metal artist. Vickie continued her work here but when her family decided to return to Saskatchewan, her business was up for sale. Knowing how much I wanted to be home with my two young girls Vickie offered the business to me first, even though she had at least five others interested in it. I was so excited! Here it was, the perfect job for me!
Vickie encouraged me to give it a try first and I found that I loved working with the metal. She was such an inspiration. Her encouragement and her belief in me were amazing. She was a patient teacher with a great sense of fun. We worked together with the metal art for five months. My family also encouraged me to go for it, especially my Dad who always knew I was a "tool girl". I have since learned a couple of different types of welding. It helps that my husband, Val is a welder/steel fabricator! Even though he usually works on large structures, he comes up with the greatest design ideas for a lot of the smaller projects. Val has been a tremendous help! Now I have so much more than just a job. It’s wonderful to be able to use the creative part of my mind and to enjoy what I do every day. I mainly create western and wildlife designs but have done everything from racecars and flowers to semi trucks and hockey players. Any size project is possible, from small business card holders to large custom-made ranch gate signs. When someone orders a custom piece with just a general idea and then says "just do whatever you think looks good" - that makes this work a whole lot of fun!
Val and Lorie, along with their two young daughters, Codie and Sierra, live on 14 acres in Chilliwack in the beautiful Fraser Valley area of British Columbia, Canada. They have horses and mules and are involved in the Back Country Horsemen of B.C.
Lorie's metal art can be seen at larger trade shows in B.C. such as The Mane Event, SuperSlide and the Kamloops Cowboy Festival. Occasionally she also travels to Alberta. The Country West Stores in Chilliwack, Armstrong, and Aldergrove also carry her designs. You can visit Lorie at her studio in Chilliwack, BC. Please call ahead. Contact info: ph: 604-823-4119, fax 604-823-4181 or email hoperivermetalart@hotmail.com
