More of Our Canada – September 01, 2019

PURSUIT OF ART

Putting her love for the Maritimes on display made this

artist’s first solo exhibition all the more special

by Rhonda MacLellan, Beaver Brook, N.S.

I

t seems that for most of my life I have

been involved with music, art and the

love of all things “Maritime-ish.” I have

always loved art; I’ve taught it and I con-

tinue to pursue it. I first learned about art

from my maternal, Russian-born grandfa-

ther, George Sawatsky, who was a proficient

pianist and gifted artist. While my father’s

family, the MacLellans, seem to have music

in their veins, it took me years to realize that

not everyone can do what we can do with

music and art. With that realization, I came

to understand that the “gift of talent” was

intended to bring joy to others, not to amass

personal accolades.

I was born in British Columbia and

raised my family there, but all my life the

province of Nova Scotia seemed to beck-

on me. My father, William Leo MacLellan,

was born in Deepdale, N.S., on Cape Bret-

SHOWCASE

Above: Rhonda

working at home

on her art piece,

“Cumberland

Anchor.”

PH

OT

O:^

TIF

FA

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BA

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28 More of Our Canada SEPTEMBER 2019