After almost 20 years in the aviation industry as an aircraft maintenance engineer, Neil Hamelin found himself in a desperate situation.
In 2006, Hamelin suffered a debilitating back injury after falling from the plane he had been servicing. He spent two years bedridden.
“My wife, Cheri, had to quit work to look after me, my physical abilities were so limited at the time,” said Hamelin.
Describing it as the ‘darkest times’ he and Cheri had ever had together, and with no money coming in, everything seemed lost.
Then Cheri found an old set of oil paints, threw them on the bed and said, “here, teach yourself to paint.”
And he did.
Having never painted before, he had no clue how to even get started. Hamelin watched some YouTube videos for help and a switch went off.
“I thought, `oh, I can do this. I can build stuff. I’m always building stuff,’” said Hamelin. “Painting is a lot like that, once you understand the foundation and how to go about creating it.”
Then he started to paint, initially for 15 minutes at a time before his back pain would be too bad, and he needed to lie down.
“Opposed to lying back down and being depressed suddenly, I was lying in bed going ‘wow, that was fascinating,” Hamelin said. “I loved that last 15 minutes.”
Plagued by injury and back pain most of his life, Hamelin was a skilled hockey player in his youth, with his sights set on playing in the NHL.
“I was playing in the WHL at the age of 15,” said Hamelin. “I was training under the L.A. Kings when I was eighteen. But at the time, I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.”
According to mayoclinic.org, ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause the spine to fuse. There is no cure.
With hockey in his review mirror. Hamelin went in search of new path, trying his hand as a guide outfitter for a summer.
“I always thought it would be fun to be with horses and hunting and being up in the mountains living that sort of lifestyle,” he said. “Turns out I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought, too much tourism and dealing with people not enough dealing with the animals.”
Deciding to focus on something with more of a future. Hamelin attended the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in the aircraft maintenance engineer program to become an aircraft mechanic.
In 2008, after the fall, Hamelin found himself once again looking for a new path.
“I had enjoyed being an aircraft mechanic. My intent was to get healthy, get back, and keep working.”
However, returning to that job was not an option. Doctors and other medical professionals could find no answer for his pain. It was suggested that perhaps he find a non-physical hobby to take his mind off his situation.
Every hobby he had enjoyed up until then were all physical in nature. Restoring old cars and trucks had been the focus of his free time.
Then Cheri found the paints.
Reluctant, but feeling he owed it to Cheri to try, Hamelin remembered that he possessed an innate ability to draw. But he only sketched things he wanted to build — never as fine art.
“My hand would do what my mind asked it to do,” Hamelin said. “I always thought that was an interesting ability.”
“I brought home some canvases and brushes and a few days later he got himself out of bed and sat at the kitchen table,” said Cheri.
“I did a quick sketch of one of our St. Bernard’s, Huckleberry, and it was pretty decent, quickly drawn just very simple thought,” said Hamelin.
Painting became the only thing Hamelin wanted to do. It was the mental push he needed to heal, exposing a self-taught artist with hidden talents.
The portrait of Huckleberry still hangs in his home studio, unfinished. It serves as a reminder of how far he has come.
The Hamelin’s have made a living as artist for the past 14 years. He paints the pictures, and she runs the business. Their journey into the world of fine art has led them to that new path.
My hand would do what my mind asked it to do – Neil Hamelin
One of art shows and exhibits, a move to Alberta in 2019, and a newfound joy for life.
Hamelin’s passion for horses and western heritage has driven his work lately and he has developed a following of collectors. And made a name for himself in Canada and the western United States, winning several awards along the way.
“Neil is an amazing artist,” says collector Roc Spence. “He brings to life the subject matter he paints, and you will love having one of his works hanging on any wall in your home.”
