Local artist Alan Butler grew up in England, home of wizards, the Brothers Grimm and King Arthur and his round table of knights.
鈥淲hen I was kid there was no television or computers. The first time I ever saw a TV, it was a tiny little box with black and white images. Every kid in the neighbourhood gathered around it to watch the coronation of QE2,鈥� Butler said, referring to Queen Elizabeth II.
鈥淪o all we had at that time was the Brothers Grimm, Robin Hood and our imaginations.鈥�
Inspired by made-up worlds, Butler started drawing at an early age.
鈥淢y earliest memory is being five years old, with a pencil in my hand鈥攋ust drawing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was really taken by dragons, wizards, fairies and all that fantasy stuff.鈥� 聽聽
As he continued to sketch, doodle and illustrate on whatever paper he could find, Butler said he wanted to enrol in art school, but his family couldn鈥檛 afford it at the time. So, at the age of 10, Butler鈥檚 parents bought him a stack of art books, which opened him up to a whole new world of theory, design and technique.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 how I learned,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verything I know about art I learned by reading.鈥�
However, even as a child, Butler had a very mechanical mind. As he got older, he said he was torn between two career paths: something artistic or engineering. In the end, engineering won, however, Butler never stopped drawing, occupying his free time with sketchbooks and pencils, crafting real and fantasy lands.
Butler and his family eventually moved to Jasper in 1978 after Butler accepted a maintenance gig at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge鈥攁 position he held for almost 30 years.
On the side, Butler also helped grow Jasper鈥檚 art community, serving as one of the founding members of the Jasper Artists Guild (JAG), alongside Gregory Deagle, Claude Boocock and Michael Flisak. The organization has been together for more than 13 years.
鈥淲e wanted something for the art community,鈥� he said.
Several of Butler鈥檚 creations can be found hanging in JAG鈥檚 art gallery at the Library and Cultural Centre.
Now that Butler has retired from the Lodge, he is continuing to give back to Jasper鈥檚 art community. In October, he started art classes for children at the Jasper Municipal Library. The first month taught the students how to wield a pencil, helping children create their very own dragons and wizards.
Most recently, Butler wrapped up a comic strip workshop, teaching four kids how to come up with their own characters and storylines.
鈥淚t was a small size, but that鈥檚 good because it gives me a chance to work with the students one-on-one. They seemed to enjoy it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l do anything if it will help get children away from their cellphones and televisions.
鈥淟ife is about more than that.鈥�
By the end of the four-week workshop, each student had created their own fantasy world complete with a unique story.
In the new year, Butler will teach another art class for kids, but he hasn鈥檛 decided on the theme yet.
鈥淢aybe I鈥檒l do a course on fairies or something. I want to do something that will get children interested in art,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really like doing this kind of stuff.
鈥淚 think if you have a talent or a skill then you should share it with the community.鈥�
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
