A new artist -in-residence program has started at the Broken Spoke Fine Art Gallery. The first resident artist is Judith McRae, from Calgary. Some of the artwork she has produced while in Maple Creek is on display in the gallery

Cowboy tradition and imagery … grand, historic buildings that command attention … the majesty of towering hills, lush forests, wetlands and grasslands … To Calgary-born artist Judith McRae, Maple Creek and the surrounding area is a rich source of inspiration, a place to escape urban noise, city clutter and feel the wonder of life. Where better to commune with nature, sitting with an easel before trees, each one with its unique personality, than in the Cypress Hills? She first came here in 2016, as a tourist with her mother, and was struck by the community’s quiet beauty and western culture, which stirred her fascination for the romantic lore of cowboys. “Maple Creek is such a beautiful place,” she says. “I liked everything I saw.” Looking for a retreat this summer, she found an online listing for a “Tumbling Angels Artist Loft” above the Broken Spoke Fine Art Gallery in Jasper Street.A 700 square foot-suite, it was described as a perfect place for artists wishing to explore Southwest Saskatchewan.Within minutes, McRae was in touch with the owners, Jane and Blaine Filthaut, and had booked her stay from July 15 to August 11, becoming the first of the gallery’s “artists in residence.”The “artist loft” is one of five apartments that Blaine has built above the gallery. It has a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms, one of which has been converted into a den or potential artist’s studio. On Thursday, July 25, the News-Times visited McRae in the “artist loft” and found someone perfectly attuned to her new environment, determined to make the most of this break from the pace of modern life.

NEWS-TIMES PHOTOS MARCUS DAY

Moved by shapes and colours: Judith McRae in the studio and living room at the “artist loft.” Below right, a sketch of the Post Office.

“I love it here,” she says, “I was looking for a quiet spot to make some art – and I’ve
found it.”

McRae (it is no surprise to learn that her husband, Gordon, is from Dundee, Scotland) had turned the den into her studio, which is full of expected art paraphernalia. An easel and chair are set perpendicular to a window. Before the window is a table bearing a box filled with tubes of acrylic paint. Within arm’s length of the easel is a palette. Canvases are stacked against a wall and there are books all around.

Since coming to Maple Creek, McRae has been very productive, listening to her heart, going out in her hatchback when the mood takes her, or sketching outside on the sidewalk. At least two Cypress Hills landscapes, full of deep verdant greens, are already on display below in the gallery.

She also has other paintings on the go – one of the Post Office across the road, and two more landscapes. Before she leaves, she wants to paint the grain elevator.

“I tend to work very quickly” she says. “Often I’lI do a sketch first and then paint, sometimes I’ll work from a photograph.”

Raised in Calgary, McRae has been Painting all her life, almost literally. When she was
4, she painted Goldilocks and the Three Bears, probably her first artwork.

“I think my mother still has the painting somewhere”‘ she smiles.

Her passion for art has family roots: her father, Gordon Reid, was a New York
artist and became an early inspiration.

Fine Arts degree

After graduating from the Alberta College of Art in 1984 with a painting diploma, McRae began working from an art studio, selling her work “from time to time”, focusing mainly on landscapes, although occasionally dabbling in portraits.

She later got her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and became affiliated with the Calgary Burns Visual Arts Society, Off Centre Centre, TRUCK: an artist-run centre and the Emmaus Group.

Like many artists, she has found it nigh impossible to devote herself full-time to her vocation and still pay the bills. For the past 11 years she has supplemented her income by working in a church office, a iob she loves.

“It’s fun and I get to work with really nice people,” she says.

McRae has had her art exhibited in community centres and churches, and five times at the Calgary Stampede, where she has garnered good reviews.

“The judges at the Stampede are very constructive and kind in their criticism,” she says. ” I learn a lot from them.”

She also continues to draw inspiration from artists she admires: Paul Cêzanne, Emily Carr, Margaret Shelton and the Group of Seven, among others. In her dining room at home is a small collection of famous Canadian paintings and drawings inherited from her father. All these influences are apparent in her work in Maple Creek. Her landscapes are more impressionistic than exact representations of a scene.

When she is outside, surrounded by nature, she is moved by colours and shapes. Driving into rugged terrain in search of artistic expression is nothing new to her.

Sometimes she has found a spot off the highway to paint the Rockies. Over the last few days, she has experienced a similar, almost spiritual, emotion in the Cypress Hills, where she enjoys the company of trees.

“Trees have their own personalities, and I try to capture them in my paintings,” she says.

As an artist, McRae is clear about her goals.

“I want to create a virtual hole in the wall where people can send their imagination on a wonderful adventure,” she says.

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