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the finished pieces. Cruse's familiarity with horses translates into graceful and fluid movements in her figures. The laminating method of woodcarving allows her to be more intricate in her designs as there is less worry concerning breakage when incorporating the finer details. It has not taken Janet long to develop her remarkable talent at rendering striking equine figures in wood. She now looks beyond the simple figure itself and goes deeper, to include layers of meaning, exemplified in the rocking horse and generational companion pieces. Janet doesn't merely render an image. She captures the essence of her subject, its natural rhythm and grace, and creates a fluid movement that animates her equine subjects. Each piece is unique
and, as such, comes with a certificate verifying its originality, signed by the artist. As a self-described hobbyist and wood-carver, Janet creates pieces either for commission or, for sale at exceedingly reasonable prices, generating just enough revenue to resupply herself with wood and tools for her next project. "I am happy to do pieces on commission, and to incorporate the client's vision to create a piece that is meaningful to him or her," says Cruse. Her commissions can be found all over Canada and even into the U.S. She has been featured in articles in prestigious magazines such as Style Manitoba, Western Horse Review, and Horse Country Magazine. Janet Cruse is a four year member of the Interlake's successful Wave Artist Tour; however, she will not be opening her studio on this year's tour as she is currently in transition. Cruse has sold her farm and is currently working on building her new wood-carving studio. While she is in this exciting transition period, her work can be seen by appointment only but, Janet welcomes inquires about commission work. She can be reached at 204-886-3058.
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