B.J. Precourt (Mill Spring, NC, b.1935), Large Folk Art Santa

2005, hand-carved and painted wood, inscribed "B.J/NC/'05" to underside of left foot.

69 1/4 x 19 1/2 x 16 in.

At age fifty, B.J. and his wife sold their glass shop in New Jersey and purchased a 36 acre farm in Mill Spring, North Carolina complete with a barn and an 1888 log cabin. B.J. devoted his time to restoring their new home and exploring the woods and mountains. "I always thought, and still do, so much can be done with wood," explains B.J. "I had done some carving when I retired and as the house became more livable, I found more time for an avocation of wood carving. I don't buy wood. Probably some might claim frugality drives me to the mountains, town dumps, factory refuse, or the fallen trees. However, I believe the twisted shapes and rotted pieces can be recycled into an interesting work of art. My inspiration comes from observing everything and adding imagination to create a store and then carve that story."
Biography courtesy of WickWire Art Gallery.

Good estate condition; crack along inner left arm from shoulder to elbow; small area of loss to left hand.