Luseland Library displays Bill Loveday's handiwork

By Joan Janzen

LUSELAND - The latest exhibit on display at the Luseland Library features the work of Bill Loveday, a former Luseland resident and RM of Heart's Hill administrator, who passed away in 1992. "We have over thirty items on display," explained librarian Dawna Nienaber.

The comprehensive display consists of hand-crafted wooden items, including birdhouses and children's toys. "It's already getting rave reviews," she added. "The toys are all so interesting looking and tempting for the many little ones that pass through our doors."

The Luseland Library's latest art exhibit features the handiwork of former Luseland resident Bill Loveday. PHOTOS COURTESY LUSELAND LIBRARY

Bill's hands were usually rough and full of splinters from building countless toys, birdhouses, dollhouses, and pieces of furniture. Much of his work remains in the homes of his friends, children, and grandchildren.

Bill was creative and inventive and possessed a special talent for design. He spent much of his free time making things, and leather was another of his favourite mediums.

Bill first discovered leather craft when he took an evening class in Luseland in the 1970s; his interest in the art form continued throughout his life. Many of his leather crafts were given as gifts to family and friends, and he also did a number of commissioned pieces.

Bill gained a lot of inspiration from nature and Western culture. Designs were traced from paper to velum to damp leather, then embossed with a series of tools. His children have fond memories of the tapping of his mallet and tools on the kitchen table and the smell of leather. Tooled leather was stained and preserved, and the pieces were sewn together by hand. Many items are completed with intricate lacing, which took hours to complete. Some of Bill's leather pieces are also on display at the library.

The library's art display committee chose and set up the display of Bill's work, which will be featured for a month or more.