Artists challenge our structured thoughts. By nature, creative personalities are designed to defy convention.

As befitting the unpredictability of the artist nature, one creative genius in Innisfil blatantly exhibits both ends of the spectrum for all the world to see. That is all he allows most people to see, however.

James Stubbs avoids the limelight.

“I let my pieces speak for themselves,” he says to a curious reporter who, as a matter of course, wants to photograph the story’s principal. ‘Avonquil’ eventually agrees to allow his reflected likeness to be captured off an important piece of hardware.

An engraved silver plate shows the artist recently claimed Best Booth at Barrie’s Kempenfest.

Stubbs has mastered a bold and guiltless celebration of colour. The piece he says netted him such a coveted coup captured more than the attention of discerning judges. Youthful visitors, unafraid to celebrate very cheery and bright colours, paid great attention to Stubbs’ ornate prize winning gate at the recent talent showcase. It could probably safely be called the most inviting gate ever designed, and despite being a piece of art, like most of Stubbs’s pieces is fully functional.

The artist’s colourful renderings should not be mistaken for whimsy. This is the unexpected and intriguing aspect of Avonquil’s diverse interests.

James Stubbs is an avid antiquities restorer and collector, especially of all things firefighting. He beautifully refurbished an old red fire truck, which was on display at his 10th Line property just east of the Stroud arena until it was purchased by a private party in the Oakwood area. His property is peppered with seemingly unrelated antiques like a Boy Scout totem pole from New York, a giant cauldron originally used by the Campbell’s Soup company and a decrepit old wagon used in the CBC television production Wind at my Back.

What seems to tie all his projects together is his love for things mechanical. Even his candy-striped flagpole has an engineered base that allows Stubbs to easily lower it for any required new coats of paint. He has an impressive collection of water pumps, stoves, ploughs and even bird houses.

James and his wife Donna are trying to downsize the massive private outdoor display that at times has resulted in inquiries at the door as to when the ‘museum’ opens.

“Pretty much everything is for sale,” the collector says, “except for this.”

He opens up his sun porch door to reveal a very old, glossy black coal stove. Stretching up from the smallish base burner are four large, parallel columns that, the collector says, exhibit almost a lost art.

“It’s an extremely effective way to distribute heat,” he explains.

As with most of his collection, Stubbs’ stove has famous origins.

“This belonged to Ed Mirvish,” he says almost reverently.

A giant bell on his front lawn came from John Sleeman of Sleeman’s Brewery, and interestingly, the wheel engineered to turn the massive chunk of metal was found at the bottom of Georgian Bay.

In the Stubbs’ driveway sits a 1933 Chrysler Royal 8 CT coupe. Simcoe-North MPP Garfield Dunlop and his wife once graced the rumble seat during a parade. An onlooker shouted, “Hey, Garfield, that car makes you look good!”

Farther up the sides of the Stubbs’s driveway, two solid concrete horse statues proudly prance. “These were made for Donald Trump by a guy in Cambridge,” the collector notes. “Donald Trump came up to Canada to get concrete statues for his casinos. These (two) were rejected because of the seam. I had to use a grinder to get it all even.”

Despite his recent top showing in Barrie, Avonquil says he’s actually slowing down a bit. A notation on one of his projects at Kempenfest touted the seeming complaint, “Too many projects, not enough life.”