12(H) x 11(W) x 1(D)

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Dated 1962. Pine, painted. Carved from a single pine panel, depicting two red roses within a frame decorated with tulips and other flowers. Brightly painted in red, green, yellow and black. Signed "1962 AB Spencer". Good condition. 12 x 11". From the Jim Fleming Collection. $400/600. Sam Spencer was born in 1898 in Worcester, England. After being orphaned at the age of three, he moved to Canada with his grandmother in 1903, and they settled near Punnichy, Saskatchewan. He worked as a trapper, fur trader, construction worker, and farmer and began wood carving in 1927. Although Sam Spencer was christened as Arthur B. Spencer, he was best known as Sam. He carved with two simple tools: a pocket knife and a paring knife. When asked about his relief carvings, he replied, "I do them for my own pleasure, not for sale". As a product of the Great Depression, he taught himself to read and eventually went on to prosper in the fur business. However, his true enjoyment came from his jackknife artistry. (See "From the Heart - Folk Art in Canada" p.18).