Artist Bev Friesen’s work on display at The Gardens
You still have a little bit more time to check out the artwork of Bev Friesen adorning the walls at The Gardens on Tenth in Altona.
Bev Friesen tries to capture a moment of time in each of her pieces, which often focus on everyday people
“Faspa in Curlers”
Over a dozen pieces by the local oil painter have been on display at the senior living facility for the past few weeks and will remain up until the end of the month.
“My main theme is Mennonite connections,” shared Friesen, noting her favourite subjects are old photographs of people depicting a slice of everyday life.
“There’s a story behind most of them,” she said, whether it’s a house barn from the 1920s or a group of ladies having coffee at the MCC store. “I love to paint people.
“And sometimes I paint things a bit tongue-in-cheek,” Friesen shared of one piece called Faspa in Curlers. “I found it really funny that they would go out in public on Saturday with curlers in their hair so that they would look good on Sundays.”
Friesen describes her style as a sort of romantic realism—they’re not photo-perfect recreations but instead seek to capture the feel of a moment frozen in time.
“I’m sure some people might look at the pieces and critique them, maybe, but I hope for the most part it’s more ‘I remember doing something like that’ or ‘that is kind of crazy that our people do these things,’” she said, laughing as she recalled one painting of her husband’s grandparents, who lived in Paraguay in the 1940s. “They’re sitting in a room with a blank wall and it’s totally off-centre. They’re sitting on a couch and on the table beside them is a doll standing on it. It’s just them and a doll. They took a picture of themselves with a doll. It’s a little weird … but they were proud of that doll. It must have been like a status thing.”
Art has been a part of Friesen’s life since she was a child.
“I always loved art. I just loved to draw,” she shared. “Even in school, I drew too much. It was definitely where my interest was and I was limited to how much paper I could have to draw.”
She picked up the paintbrush in earnest about 25 years ago under the mentorship of Neubergthal artist Margruite Krahn
“Marguerite was very important to me, so I always have to give her credit for all the doors she opened for me and all the encouragement,” Friesen said.
Though she still loves to create, Friesen has slowed down a bit in recent years when it comes to exhibiting her work.
“I’m not terribly aggressive in that because it takes a lot of effort and I’ve gotten busy in my life with being a grandmother; that has sort of taken a priority in my life,” she said. “I still like to paint. It’s just not the only thing I do.”
You can check out Friesen’s work at The Gardens on Tenth until month’s end or find her on Instagram (@bevfriesenart).
