Living in southern Alberta has inspired a local artist who has become enamoured with the history of DeWinton and the surrounding communities.

Calgary resident Laurie Sommerville is hosting an opening reception in DeWinton on Friday evening for her exhibition of paintings and the show continues until Dec. 4.

Laurie Smmerville's paintings of people, animals and landscapes in the foothills are an homage to rural life, past and present. The opening reception for her first show in the Yellow House Studio in DeWinton hamlet is on Friday from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.

The exhibition will take place in the studio and gallery space she recently opened in the hamlet’s original post office and general store.

The space, called The Yellow House Studio, is her home base for learning about the history of the area and gives her an opportunity to plant some roots in the foothills. Spending days painting in the studio, caring for animals out back and visiting with neighbours is fuelling Sommerville’s passion for the area. The result is a body of paintings depicting that passion.

“This, to me, is my calling. I get so much joy from it,” said Sommerville. “I’ve gone into the history of the area and the art grounding my life right now.

“All of a sudden I started living the farm life and that’s the inoculation I need to paint wonderful paintings in this house.”

The “inoculation” was an injection of rural life for the urbanite, which inspired her to paint beehives located between Black Diamond and Longview, the original St. Patrick’s Church, which was once used as a school in DeWinton, a cowboy at a rodeo in Nanton and Millarville polo players.

Her oil paintings range from using bold, vibrant colours to smooth strokes with demure, blended hues.

The painting of a cowboy on horseback with a herd of horses, for example, incorporates the colours of the foothills: browns and greys, golden pasture with blue skies and the bright white of billowy clouds. The painting, called Among Friends, is from an experience at the OH Ranch west of Longview and was inspired by a photo she snapped.

“Every time I look at a photo I try to see through a poet’s eyes,” said Sommerville. “I had the cowboy’s eye connected to the eye of another horse. He might have been looking into the distance, but I don’t just copy the photograph. I’m always trying to take the photo a step further and make it something poetic.”

She keeps the viewer in mind as she paints, aiming to create a piece of art that someone will love.

“I am painting for someone. I just don’t know who they are and I can’t wait to meet them,” said Sommerville.

In addition to paintings of the people, animals and landscapes, Sommerville’s show will include subjects from around the world.

Laurie Sommerville is showing her artwork in her gallery space The Yellow House Studio, located at 207 Macleod Trail in the hamlet of DeWinton.

The opening reception takes place on Friday, Nov. 27 from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. The gallery will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day until Dec. 4 and then by appointment.

Sommerville can be reached at 403-651-6425.

tneely@okotoks.greatwest.ca

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