A man for all media

Ian Lauder doesn't do things by halves.

The enthusiastically multi-talented White Rock artist (by his count he's mastered 20 creative disciplines, including photography, drawing and painting, sculpture, film-making and novel writing) clearly doesn't like to limit himself, and he doesn't seem to rest much, either.

"I can't seem to do just one thing - I'll have to live for 500 years," he quipped, with typically impish humour, while giving a brief tour of his current digital photography show, which has been featured during July and August on the artists' wall at the White Rock Museum and Archives.

Even as he talked, casual museum visitors paused, finding themselves transfixed by his strong compositions of natural imagery, and sensitive touch with everything from colourful hydrangeas, daffodils and tiger lilies from gardens in White Rock, all the way to the graceful swans on the Morgan Creek pond that he has christened Sam and Iris for his photos.

The series of 21 18-by-24-inch prints are actually stills from a much larger work - CanonFire - a feature-length photo montage video that has been, according to Lauder, a decade in the making.

"There are 800 of these in the feature film," he said. "It's a completely different concept from Flower Dance and the others. It's all done, but have to find the right musician for the score.

"It's a 'river of life' concept - it starts with a bubbling beginning, begins to flow to with image after image and winds up going right into the ocean."

Local singer Gord Pearson has been approached to lend his voice to the project, Lauder added.

"He's going to sing classic songs in his rich baritone voice."

But Lauder is not neglecting his literary side, manifested most recently by his ambitious seven part fantasy novel Elfindale, in which Angelica, a young Canadian girl, finds herself and her puppy Thunder whisked into the worlds of Arthurian mythology and the myths of Merlin and Morgan le Fay.

It's a volume with a high fun quotient, courtesy of sorcerers, dragons and telepathic animals, not to mention Lauder's own irreverent brand of humour.

The novel, which he self-published last year, has particular resonance for a young female audience, Lauder finds, an invaluable pay-off for the many years he put into the project.

"I wanted it to be a great work of literature, not just a book," he said.

Those who have not yet encountered Elfindale and its author will be able to at an upcoming reading and author's signing Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the White Rock and District Community Arts Council Gallery, Windsor Square, 90 - 1959 152 St.

Given the fondness for fantasy in current movies, Elfindale would seem to be a natural for the screen, and Lauder, who has also written a number of screenplays, is also busy pitching it to potential Spielbergs online in a series of YouTube videos.

"I'm YouTube-ing the hell out of Hollywood via mudvalley.com," he adds with a grin.

He's also currently working on bringing out Mud Valley, a collection of 13 short stories that he believes may mystify fans of Elfindale - considering they offer gritty, unvarnished portraits and composites of people he grew up with in Northern Ontario.

There are also three other books in the works, as well as an extraordinary backlog of volumes he has written, and Lauder intends to self-publish 15 of them on a one-every-three months plan.

"I've completed 40 manuscripts, and they're all ready for the world," he said.

"Every one is as good as Elfindale."

As if that isn't enough activity for Lauder, he's also at work on a series of 12 clay sculptures that are going to be turned into bronzes, he said.

Through all his work runs a streak of perfectionism which has sometimes been an obstacle to bringing his work to the public, Lauder admits.

"Something has to be so good it's flawless, or I'll kill it," he said.

Fortunately his photography is connecting with people who appreciate his meticulous work, which, through artful composition gives added dimension - even personality - to his chosen subjects.

"All of my pictures have some form of anthropomorphism in them," he acknowledged.

"I've had so many people - mainly photographers - ask me how did I get this or that effect. The answer is I use no flash, no filters, no editing, no Photoshop. My style is always to grab the moment."

Lauder is a rarity among art photographers in that he isn't a 35mm snob.

"My work is always digital. Digital gives you a painterly quality that you can't get without trickery in 35mm. They have a kind of quality to them that matches the human eye. A crystal clear 35mm shot is very sharp, but not relaxing.

"I'll do whatever works."

note: After this article was printed Ian decided to withdraw Elfindale from Trafford Publishing and self-publish release it via amazon.com along with the first 41 of his now 55 book manuscripts, on 42 consecutive days, from December 3, 2012 - January 13, 2013 - to generate international media interest in an unprecedented literary event.

His remaining 13 manuscripts will be released as each is honed, over the next few years.

To view About the Books and About the Author go to www.mudvalley.com and click on Lauder Library.