The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It seems every picture tells a story. To prove it, Bernice Schwartz holds up a picture of a Bald Eagle perched on a lodge pole and she relates how the idea for her painting was developed. It seems while out fishing, the eagle took a liking to her husband Randy, son, and grandson; when they did a little fishing for him as well as themselves. ThatÕs the story on that particular painting. However, as Schwartz fingers through the photos sheÕs taken of the wide array of art pieces she has produced, it becomes obvious that they all have a story. It also appears that each and every piece holds a special place in hers or someone elseÕs home and a specific memory of how it arrived there. One painting of a Black Lab conjures up this account of its conception. ÒThis dog saved my ex-husband and son from a fire,Ó said Schwartz. ÒShe was being taken to Winnipeg after it happened and had so much smoke in her lungs she died on the way.Ó Originally from Crooked River Saskatchewan (near Tisdale), Schwartz started painting while living in Hudson Bay Saskatchewan. Although, she has worked inside the home in recent years, Schwartz states that she has had some conventional and not-so-conventional jobs over the years. She has driven gravel trucks and rebuilt batteries, but her most recent position was as a clerk in a jewelry store. Schwartz moved to Snow Lake 11 years ago and didnÕt think much of it upon arrival. ÒI wasnÕt very impressed in the beginning,Ó she said. ÒBut the longer I stayed, the more it grew on meÉ and I love it. IÕm not leaving; itÕs as simple as that.Ó She began painting innocently enough, when a friend in Hudson Bay wanted to take lessons and didnÕt want to go by herselfÉ so she coaxed Schwartz into coming with her. ÒWhen the instructor asked if weÕd done any painting, we told her yes, walls,Ó she joked. ÒI think we had two lessons and the instructor seemed to be spending most of her time with those who were good painters. I didnÕt really think that I learned a lot, but I guess I did.Ó Not long after that course, her husband Randy began travelling away with work a lot, and as she wasnÕt one to go out much or watch a lot of television, she got into painting. She started out with oils, but when she works on wood, which is her canvas of choice, she uses regular exterior paint. ÒItÕs not that easy to blend,Ó said Schwartz, Òbut thatÕs what I use.Ó ÒWhat I like to do is take old things and make them look new again,Ó said the artist. Referring to her photographs, she displays a number of examples. These vary from a Christmas tree that was re-fashioned into two amazing wreaths, to several ceramic figurines that were repaired, repainted, and then re-gifted. Husband Randy also gets involved in her artistic apparitions. He has added motors, gears, and chains to a rendering of SantaÕs sled and reindeer, and also to a ferris wheel-like flower bed, both of which grace their Snow Lake yard during opposite seasons. The Schwartzes are both old-school recyclers, seeing the possibilities of beauty, worth, and functionality in items that others see only as junk. Mrs. Schwartz has also painted a number of signs over the years, but admits that she isnÕt fond of that trade. ÒIs it ever a lot of work,Ó she laments. ÒEverything has to be measured perfectly, because once they are up, if something is out a quarter of an inch, youÕll notice it when itÕs up there.Ó When asked if she has any of her art in a prominent place, Schwartz says, ÒYeah, itÕs kind of funnyÉ the arts council in Hudson Bay wanted a picture. They decided to ask me for one. I thought it was for the arts council, but it wasnÕt. It was for the NDP. I didnÕt know until I got a cheque in the mail. They auctioned it off for $75 and I got $25 out of it.Ó She says painting is very relaxing for her and as far as subject matter, nature in general appeals to her, but in particular, flowers and animals. Her favourite piece is one she did several years ago for her brother. It depicts a snowy owl swooping down from its perch high above a cabin in the bush. Noting that she hasnÕt painted seriously for a couple of years, she plans to get back to it again as husband Randy has taken a new job in Thompson and she will be on her own a bit more. Modest, practically to a fault, Schwartz says she doesnÕt think that she is very good at painting; however, her work contradicts that assumption. She says there are many in Snow Lake with more talent and an eye for art. She refers to Alice Shipowich, Elaine McAuley, and Connie Polh by name and then states teasingly, ÒYou must be awful hard up for stories, if you come to me for one.Ó She laughs, then adds seriously, ÒAnything that people do artistically is a gift from God. If you are talented, at playing an instrument, singing, working with glass, paintingÉ thatÕs a God-given talent, no one can take it away from you, itÕs yours.Ó My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
