Arnold Jacobs: portrait of an experienced artist

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Arnold Aron Jacobs, a man of few words, speaks volumes with the strokes of his brush.

During eight weeks last winter, Jacobs created a commissioned work for the common room wall of the Jay Silverheels Lifelong Care Centre in Ohsweken. An idea in his head went from a pencil drawn sketch to an eight feet long mural that depicted a nature scene complete with trees, animals and a flowing river.

As the work progressed, the canvas began to speak of the way of life of Haudenosaunee people. The scene emerged with all the animals of the clans drinking from a river with four spirits watching from within the rocks as an eagle soars overhead.

The picture spoke of the way nature exists in harmony with itself and the beauty found in it all. The vivid colors continued to radiate from the canvas until the picture reflected a scene so beautiful and serene that one could wish to step inside and become a part of the harmony and beauty revealed.

Documentation of the journey of art from the mind of Arnold Jacobs to canvas took eight short weeks. It was an educational and spiritual experience told through chronological photographs gracing the wall of his gallery.

Jacobs' work also hangs in national museums, private collections throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and South America as well as in national and international air space.

In May 2001, Jacobs was one of 32 artists who submitted a design that would eventually adorn one of Air Canada's Boeing 767s. Jacobs' entry won. His submission of an eagle design revealed his distinct style and cultural awareness. Now, his 120 feet long, 12 feet high eagle flies the skies between Canada and Europe, certainly the largest canvas he has ever worked on.

Jacobs expressed the interest to be an artist as a child who studied comic books with his brother. He exhibited the gift of an artist as he got older and entered art school. Upon graduating, he worked as a graphic artist in Hamilton for 15 years.

In 1985, he fulfilled his dream of opening a small studio in his home to showcase his work and sell his creations. Three moves later, Two Turtle Iroquois Fine Art Gallery came to be located on Highway 54 on the Six Nations reserve.

It is in this 1,000 square foot space that Jacobs spends much of his time creating new works and "showcasing the spirit art of the Haudenosaunee."

Works from other local artists can also be found at Two Turtle because Jacobs believes in promoting art that celebrates the rich culture of the Haudenosaunee.

It is this deep-rooted cultural instinct that has designated Jacobs as one of the most sought after logo artists in the region. During his career, he has designed many logos for local organizations and businesses using a combination of cultural symbolism and creative artistic expression.

He was most recently featured at the opening of an exhibition called A Sense of Place, which celebrated the Niagara Escarpment at the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Fifty artists were selected to exhibit art, photographs and mixed media of the Niagara Escarpment in the exhibit, which will run until May 4.

Jacobs' Power of the Grandfathers in acrylic, which he created in 1982, was featured. It tells the story of the Maid of the Mist legend foretelling ecological disasters that threaten our natural waters.

Having painted his first work in 1976, Jacobs has lost count of how may pictures he has painted. He does not only paint pictures, he tells the stories of his people through a vision expressed on canvas. The pictures of Jacobs are worth a thousand words and much, much more.