The works of artist Beth Stobbs are on display for the months of September and October at the Kay Cristo Room at the Assiniboia and District Public Library. The exhibit is sponsored by the Assiniboia and District Arts Council.
Stobbs is a local artist. She was born in Gravelbourg and raised on a farm in the Palmer District a few miles from Gravelbourg. She has lived in southern Saskatchewan almost all her life.
Stobbs鈥� passion for painting began at an early age when she bought a paint-by-number set. She threw away the picture that came with the set and used the paint to create her own picture. The budding artist then asked her mother to pick her up some 鈥渞eal鈥� oil paints on her next trip to the city. Her mother returned with an assortment of oil paint tubes in basic primary colours and a couple of brushes. Stobbs used some masonite board that she found in her father鈥檚 workshop for painting because she couldn鈥檛 afford to buy any real canvas.
When she turned 18 years old, Stobbs went to board at the home of her aunt and uncle in Canmore, Alberta. While living and working there, she thoroughly enjoyed the painting lessons graciously given by her aunt. The Art Club in Canmore put on an art show and exhibit that year. She took home second place in the oil painting category. Four years later, while living in Regina, Stobbs鈥� work was also chosen as part of an amateur exhibit put on by the Community College and held at the McKenzie Art Gallery.
Over the next 40 years, Stobbs had little time to give to painting. She was very involved with working and raising a family. Now retired, she has picked up the brush again and spends many hours painting.
Most of Stobbs鈥� paintings depict the countryside around Thomson Lake where she now lives, as well as scenes from the area where she grew up and family portraits. She adds that she has been inspired to create in her art the landscape and symbols of the south. Most recently, Stobbs displayed a few of her works at an art show in December in Assiniboia. She also attended the artist retreat at the Prince of Wales Centre in July.
