Serenity through painting

Ellen Lorne 2
Ellen Lorne has been painting for years and has been a member of the Chestermere Find Art Guild since the day it began. Currently, Lorne is working on painting part of a cherry blossom tree that her granddaughter photographed in New Zealand, which is out of Lorne’s comfort zone of painting photos inspired by the old west. Although painting the flowers have challenged Lorne she is determined to make the piece the best it can possibly be. Photo by Emily Rogers

Local artist finding inspiration through the old west

Ellen Lorne 2
Ellen Lorne has been painting for years and has been a member of the Chestermere Find Art Guild since the day it began. Currently, Lorne is working on painting part of a cherry blossom tree that her granddaughter photographed in New Zealand, which is out of Lorne’s comfort zone of painting photos inspired by the old west. Although painting the flowers have challenged Lorne she is determined to make the piece the best it can possibly be. Photo by Emily Rogers

Since Ellen Lorne can remember she has been interested in art, and now she is spending her retirement fulfilling her passion in Chestermere’s Fine Art Guild.

Lorne meets with a group of about 18 artists who use a variety of mediums including all kinds of paint, coloured pencils, and ink, every Thursday.

“My school friends who I meet with once a year told me I used to do all of their art for them,” Lorne said.

When Lorne moved to Chestermere 25 years ago she and a group of friends joined a decorative painters group in Calgary.

She began practicing painting decorative scenes on wood that she would use for holiday decorations.

However, there was something missing for Lorne. After a few years, one of the decorative painting instructors began teaching how to paint using oil paints, and the rest was history for Lorne.

“I’m an oil painter,” Lorne added, “Acrylics don’t dry as fast. I like oil, I bring them along every week. I’m the only person at the moment who does oils.”

For Lorne meeting with her group of peers and now close friends every Thursday to create art is an escape.

“Painting is my life. Since I retired from work, it keeps me sane,” Lorne said.

She added, “Everyone should have something that’s their passion, and painting is my passion. My husband doesn’t have too many passions except watching tv, and he doesn’t like the amount of time I spend painting, but I have to paint. That’s all there is to it.”

Currently Lorne is working on a piece featuring a photo of cherry blossom flowers that her granddaughter took in New Zealand.

Although the cherry blossom piece is out of Lorne’s comfortable zone, compared to her usual old western pieces, she has welcomed the challenge.

“I’m not a flower painter, but I really liked the way all of the colours pop up, so I thought I would try.

“It’s difficult. I’m not sure exactly how to do it, but I’ll keep trying just to get those little pieces of colour to come through,” she said.

Although some paintings are difficult for Lorne to get just right, she remembers when she won the Jurors Choice Award for Southern Alberta and she knows that she is capable of creating a piece of art that people enjoy.

“I couldn’t believe I won that award,” Lorne added, “Since then a milestone is every time you sell a painting.”

Lorne has attended many art shows throughout Alberta, and she always takes the opportunity to talk to the art lovers who come to the local art shows to see what she has been busy working on.

“I just like horses. People say I’m good at it. At art shows they always come and say, ‘You must have had horses growing up because you do such a good job painting them.’ And I’ll say, ‘No, I used to go out once and awhile and rent a horse for a trail ride.'”

However, Lorne doesn’t only paint horses, she gains inspiration from her surroundings.

“My grandson did a website for me and he called it “Art of the West,” I’m inspired by the old west,” Lorne said.

She added, while she was working in a law office she would find black and white street photos from Calgary at the Glenbow Museum and paint them in colour.

Her inspiration doesn’t just stop in Calgary however, if Lorne is traveling through Alberta for an art show she will stop and find a street photo from the early 1900’s of the town she is in and paint the photo in colour.

When Lorne retired from the law office she had worked in, a room was dedicated to her paintings of the Calgary street photos, and it was called “The Calgary Room.”

“That was an inspiration to keep painting,” Lorne said.

She added, the best part of being in the Chestermere Fine Art Guild is having the opportunity for everyone to find the time be among friends and have everyone be in the same space doing something they all enjoy.

“We have a great group, we can all talk about our problems, and talk about the amazing things that people are doing,” she said.

For more information about Ellen Lorne’s paintings please visit her Website at www.ellenlorne.com/.

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In response to Canada's Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to local news from their platforms, Anchor Media Inc encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this site and downloading the Rogue Radio App. Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to info@anchormedia.ca


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