Erma "Junior" Lewis lived in Isonville, Kentucky. He was a tobacco farmer and had also drilled oil wells, worked as a carpenter, and worked for the state. He started carving around 1987; his first pieces were an Indian head and a devil head made out of blocks of wood. His interest in devil figures had grown to include "Devil Island," "Devil Boasts", and a few others. He also carved biblical scenes of great beauty ... especially the last Supper ... and animals common to eastern Kentucky plus the occasional lion or tiger or alligator, too. He had added more animals to his repertoire in his last year or two, including a mother pig with babies and small chunky dogs. Junior would rough out the wood with a chain saw, then would carve and sand the rest by hand. Much of his work was painted, although sometimes he would leave his many figured pieces unpainted. Junior's work is included in several museums collections including that of the Kentucky Folk Art Center and the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. Junior died suddenly and unexpectedly on August 20, 1999.
Devil #1 paint on wood 19 x 26 $350
