Pinawa painting has Rivers roots
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- Published on Wednesday, August 26, 2015
By Sheila Runions
Banner Staff
Artist Brenda McKenzie lives in Pinawa so when Lac du Bonnet (a 20-minute drive) hosted an exhibition, she entered one of her pieces. Quiet Time is an oil painting of her mother-in-law, the late Bernie McKenzie of Rivers. Bernie (nee McLaughlin) moved to Rivers in 1935, married Bob in 1939 and together they ran McKenzie’s Department Store (Bob was the third generation) for 35 years until 1974.
“Bernie passed away Jan. 27 [2015 at age 95] but the painting came from a series of photos Brian [McKenzie, Brenda’s husband and Bernie’s son] took in the previous November when she was in her room and not being too communicative. They are very evocative images with superb lighting, which is why I liked them. I started the painting in May for the art exhibition which was July 31-Aug. 2; it took about a month because I kept "fixing" it!
“Bernie had the habit of sitting with her hands under her chin, even when she was a young girl. All the family members know this look. I took the idea of the hands as the focus and drew her head from there, hence the need for "fixing," because I don't copy an image from a photo exactly. I use the photo for colour and light references.”
The biennial exhibition for the Eastman region of Manitoba had more than 150 entries in its nine categories; there were 16 submissions in Brenda’s category. Three judges gave Brenda 47 of 50 marks for image and overall; her composition scored 137 of a possible 150 points, giving her a third-place win. Judges Carmen Hathaway, Melanie Rocan and Doug Smith (all of Winnipeg) marked entries on presentation, composition, technique, content and creativity. Their comments on Quiet Time were:
“A poignant portrayal — you communicate a strong narrative everyone can relate to.” “A great rendering of a sensitive subject. Colour choice was perfect for the overall tone.” “Emotionally touching. It gives me a warm and then a sad feeling. Someone has lost someone they loved?” (“How perceptive!” Brenda adds.)
A Rivers Banner subscriber, Brenda “thought your readers might be interested in this next part of Bernie's legacy. This photo shows me after learning my oil painting won an award in this year's Eastman Judged Art Exhibition.”
