Renowned South Cariboo graphite artist Bryan Austerberry has donated two pieces of artwork to the 100 Mile House Wranglers’ secret bid auction.
Austerberry agreed to participate in the auction because he likes to support sports for youngsters. His two pieces include Authority Figure, which stars a lion, and Rapture, which depicts a pair of giraffes. Austerberry enjoys drawing animals and researching photos for his artwork. While he often has a clear image in his head of what he wants to draw sometimes a reference picture helps pull it all together.
“I just draw something that grabs me, I don’t care if it’s sellable or not,” Austerberry said.
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Drawing for him is purely about enjoyment first and monetary gain a distant second. He often donates his art to community causes but said he doesn’t like to make a deal about it as he’s simply “there like everyone else.”
“I believe in helping as much as I can, the whole community is like this.”
Prior to retiring to the South Cariboo, Austerberry worked for an advertising company designing and drawing ads for the company’s clients. It was this job, combined along with a childhood admiration for Norman Rockwell, that helped him develop and refine his love for drawing with pencils.
He especially enjoys the challenge of working in black and white, without the advantage of colour. Austerberry said it requires a certain amount of precision to bring his subjects to life.
Authority Figure is currently on display at the Williams Lake Credit Union valued at $152 while Rapture is valued at $152 and can be viewed at CIBC in 100 Mile House.
Other artwork up for bid is displayed at RBC, the Sugar Shack, Cariboo Floor Design, Pharmasave, Uptown Brewing, Gustafson’s Central GM, 70 Mile General Store, Days Inn, Andre’s Electronics, Sunrise Ford, Regency Chrysler, Western Financial and the 100 Mile Free Press. It can also be viewed on the Wranglers’ Facebook page.
The auction is slated to end March 31.
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