Maud Lewis- Part 1

   Hi everyone. Happy Sunday. I hope you are having a nice weekend.  Today I am joining Nicole for her Sunday in the Art Room (SITAR) and also Gillena for her Sunday Smiles. 

   I've been sharing a few photos here and there from The Nova Scotia Museum of Art in Halifax. Today I thought I would share a few photos from one of the permanent exhibits at the museum. This exhibit, although not large, was unique because the artist's entire home is in the museum. As I mentioned in the title, the artist is Maud Lewis. 

   This exhibit was the main reason I wanted to visit the museum. I had hoped to visit last year when we traveled in Nova Scotia, but there wasn't enough time. This year on our trip, I definitely made time to go. In fact, it was a rainy Sunday when we went, which made it a great day for a museum. 

(image from Canadian history)

  Maud (nee Dowley)  Lewis lived from 1903-1970, and for much of her life she had severe rheumatoid arthritis as well as a possible unnamed birthday defect. She was born in the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia area, and then later in life, moved to Digby. She married a fisherman/fish peddler named Edward Lewis. The two of them lived in a very tiny little house in poverty. That didn't stop Maud from painting however, and one of her biggest art projects was painting her home.

  After Maud died, Lewis continued to live in this home. In 1979, he was killed when a burglar attempted to break in. After that the house went into disrepair, but because of how beloved Maud's work was (and still is), eventually the house became the property of the Province of Nova Scotia. That led to the creation of the art museum in Halifax where you can see her home as well as many of her paintings. 

   When the museum acquired the house, it was in terrible disrepair and required a lot of restoration. I wish I had taken a photo of the photo of how this looked, but I didn't. 😟 But I can show the finished restored home that is in the museum. 

   I really love Maud's folk art style, and all the colors she used. She definitely made this small home (no bigger than sheds some people have) a cheerful and happy place.  There were also many other paintings in this exhibit area. I will share those photos another time, as well as some more information about Maud. 

   But if you can't wait, here's a great story about her that was broadcast in National Public Radio: The Unlikely Story of Maud Lewis.

   That's all for me today. Wishing everyone a great rest of your weekend and start to the new week.