South Okanagan artist creates horse from horseshoes

The South Okanagan’s horseshoe artist is at it again.

Kaleden resident Jean Ouellon recently completed another piece of art from his medium of choice — horseshoes.

Ouellon was commissioned to create a full-sized sculpture of a foal, which he recently completed.

The project took two and a half months to create, involved more than 300 horseshoes and weighs 188 pounds.

It was recently placed at its new home at a residence on Penticton's West Bench.

“I’ve received so many comments and likes on social media from the foal, it’s crazy,” Ouellon says.

The former millwright has permanent displays of his horseshoe work in front of the David Kampe tower at Penticton Regional Hospital, including a couple of bears and birds made of recycled horseshoes.

At the start of the pandemic last year, he created “Pearl the Pandemic Salmon” and prior to that had created birds, pigs and other animal creations out of discarded horseshoes.

Ouellon’s future projects include a downsizing of sorts, with the creation of a hummingbird sculpture.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to make it out of, but probably not horseshoes,” he says.

Jean Ouellon’s full sized foal horseshoe sculpture. | Credit: SUBMITTED / Jean Ouellon


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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