We have been without a home for almost 11 months. It has been an interesting process and gave us a new perspective when you “have no fixed address”. We started last May living in our 23 foot travel trailer. We parked it in the Elks’ Park in Salmon Arm so we would have access to power and water and good internet. It was close to the golf course for my husband, Dave. I liked the location, too as it there some interesting hiking trails in the back forty to explore. I tried painting on the picnic table but it was a challenge to say the least.
In the fall we packed up our trailer and went to the C-can (AGAIN!) to try to find our travel gear. The funniest story was when we were looking for our locks for our suitcases. You have to know Dave to know how careful and organized he is. I’m not that way inclined so it makes life interesting! As we packed up our belongings of years together, Dave would carefully record a letter and a number on each box and list on his computer what was in each box. In the final days of moving out we both got Covid. We like to use this as an excuse for everything that went wrong after that. There really is such a thing as Covid brain and the brain fog that ensues. Anyway… that is his excuse.
We emptied one third of the C-can while looking for the locks. We checked each box and finally on the INSIDE of the lid carefully labelled where no one could ever see it.. was “travel locks. “ We laughed so hard!! It is so not like Dave that I do blame his Covid brain at the time.
Anyway, we finally got away in October. That is another story that I will save for another time because it really was wonderful for us.
Our good friends, Jen and Reid offered us their cabin to use for the winter until we found a new home. We were most grateful, but you can ask Dave about the challenges of Kangaroo Road in the winter! We both loved the cabin itself and the surrounding woods and lakeview. It was beautiful and cozy with the wood stove.
I finally dug out my big easel when we moved into the cabin in December. I was so excited to have a space to do LARGE paintings again. This scene was inspired from one of my ski days at SilverStar. SilverStar in the sunshine is one of the most beautiful winter playgrounds. I’m not a particularly good skier, but I think I enjoy it more than anyone.
The above painting was my creation from that day. It now hangs at Jen and Reid’s cabin as a small thank you for their generosity.
We moved into our new place in early April. This was one of the first paintings I wanted to do. This is the view from the new house looking down over Auto Road in Salmon Arm.
While we were in the cabin, I had a phone call from Cindee, a relative of Donna’s whose house we were buying. Cindee had seen my paintings in Mr. Eugene’s. Hair Salon. Eugene and Ashala had a number of my paintings hanging in their salon. As happens in a small town, Eugene mentioned that ‘Janet and Dave were buying Donna’s place and Janet was the artist that painted the pictures in the salon.’ (Are you still following me? ) Anyway, Cindee was wanting Donna to have a picture of her view in Salmon Arm. Would I do one for her? I said yes and planned for the two months before we moved in. I custom ordered two 72 inch x 18 inch canvases. As soon as we were settled enough, I started to work.
I first did a watercolour and acrylic smaller version. It was very orange and blue as the sky often is. I wanted pink and blue as I remembered that Donna had a beautiful rug with greys and pinks. The orange would not work. This was the painting I ended up with. There is another piece to this story that saddens me. Donna and her husband, Dan moved into the house in 2019. Dan passed away from cancer in the summer of 2022, and Donna decided sell the house and move back to Calgary. She would miss the beautiful view of Shuswap Lake and the memories with her late husband. Cindee knew this and decided Donna should take a piece of the Shuswap with her. This is the letter I received from Donna. What greater reward could an artist have? I enjoyed meeting Cindee, too.
Dear Janet,
Your marvelous painting took my breath away and will add such beauty and meaning to my house that it will transform it from a house to my home. I hardly know where to start in explaining the depth of meaning that it brings to me and my children. It will hang above the fireplace at the center of my living room – which is the center of a very open floor plan (albeit a scaled down one from yours). The house is undergoing a renovation right now. The demolition phase is completed and quartz installation begins in the kitchen and around the living room fireplace and ensuite. This week a two wk paint job began and THEN the hanging of your/my prize painting! I will send you a picture when it’s hung. I can’t thank you and Cindee enough for this beauty and tranquility that you captured with such skill, warmth and accuracy and with colours that so well blend into the existing colour palette in the room it will grace.
I wrote the above last week but it seemed so puny at expressing my joy in this great a gift! Sorry for not sending it sooner.
Forever grateful,
Donna
Scroll way down to the next story… Janet
Each picture has a story.
I remember crawling up on my grandfather’s knee with my two little brothers. He would have a slate and piece of chalk in hand. We would then begin the requests: 'Draw me a horse or Draw me a pig.’ We would carefully watch as he sketched the animal with small little strokes. I can still visualize those drawings.
I grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, near the town of Indian Head. I’ve always said it was the centre of the universe, and it certainly was the centre of our universe. We all learned to appreciate the beauty of Nature.
Before I started school or shortly after, my mom started painting.. oil painting. My Dad’s sister sent her first box of oil paints. My Mom at 95, still gets some enjoyment out of painting. She says her hands are shaky now, but she still can do a lovely little painting. Many homes in Saskatchewan have a painting of my Moms.
A few years after I had completed University and was teaching in Fort Smith, Dad had a heart attack. A lifestyle change was suggested so he took up painting. Once again, his sister sent a box of oil paints, and so he began.
My sister has painted for years, and does lovely work. She gets her inspiration from the prairie landscape, as she still lives in Saskatchewan. Our two brothers are fine critics and often offer good advice as we paint.
“We watched as the moon came over the mountains…”
I will never forget this night on the water. We were kayaking on the Central Coast just a few miles south of the Great Bear Rainforest with a couple of our dear friends. We had spent the day exploring the islands and had set up camp for the night. It was a small beach. We discovered there was a beach on the opposite side as well. We took our wine to watch the sunset.
Later, when everyone was well fed and set up for the night, we sat by the fire and watched as the moon came over the mountain. The reflection was clear.
When I got home I knew I would paint this picture first. I chose to do it in water colour as I thought this medium could best convey the softness and the reflections we saw that night. I used a very limited palette to create the harmony of colours. I love this painting as it brings back that night.
“We watched as the Moon came over the Mountains…” $460. 18” x 20” Watercolour and Gouache on 300 lb. Arches Paper , Framed and Matted
This painting is on display at Mr. Eugene’s Hair Salon in Salmon Arm. A number of my paintings are on display and for sale there. A special thank you to Ashala and Eugene for hosting my artwork.