Linda Payette is a force to be reckoned with, as she greeted The Observer, at her home in Harrison Estates. The vivacious artist, widow, and mother excitedly granted a tour of her bright home and lively studio, filled with a diverse array of paintings all conceived in a variety of mediums, which include acrylics, water colours, pastels, and other experimental techniques she’s working on.
Payette, who grew up on Vancouver Island, didn’t get her start in painting until much later in life, and found a passion and talent that she didn’t know existed, while she was busy raising a family early on.
Widowed early, after her late husband succumbed to cancer, Payette was busy working for Telus and supporting her family, and she didn’t have an inkling of her talent in the arts (although both her grandfather and grandmother were talented artists) until she retired in Harrison Hot Springs, and joined the Monday Painters at Agassiz United Church.
“They were both painters — my grandmother was born in Hungary and my grandfather was born in Romania and my grandmother painted to keep the family together, she painted on everything and anything she could find to support the family, so maybe it’s in my genes a bit,” she said.
It was at the painters group that Payette began to discover her raw talent, which she has cultivated over the past decade, transforming herself into what she now comfortably calls, an artist.
“I first saw the advertisement in the paper, and it called out to all different levels, so I thought I would give it a try,” she says of of her initial foray into the art world.
Payette, started out by painting a special card for her mother Hilde, which got her going, as well as a few workshops.
She enjoys experimentation and seeing her work evolve through different stages.
“I try different things,” she says of keeping it fresh.
Payette has a diversity of images and subject matter that adorn her walls and admits that she loves water and painting oceanic scenes.
“At the end of a session they critique paintings, and they don’t know who it belongs to but they’d always hold mine up and say, that’s Linda’s it’s blue,” she says of her water themes.
Time is a precious commodity according to the artist, and as a senior, she shares the importance of valuing every day.
“I wish I had started years ago — we had a lesson the other day at Monday Painters from Roberta Koons, then you realize how much you’ve got to learn when she’s teaching, she was so generous in sharing her information.”
Payette, found her passion as a new arrival to Harrison after trying several activities in the community such as line dancing, but she gravitated toward the Monday Painters.
Monday Painters helped Payette grow in confidence while nurturing her skill in a safe space. Part of the reason Payette asserts, that it may have taken her so long to realize her talents as an artist, goes back to childhood, when a teacher, said that Payette’s left-handedness was a handicap.
“They said if you stick to your left hand you’re going to be a nobody and you’re going to amount to nothing,” she said. “That’s what they did back then, they would say use your other hand, use your right hand but I was left-handed, so I honestly think that I thought I couldn’t do anything with it.”
Payette was discouraged from taking art in school, and veered off the artistic path, until she reached retirement and rediscovered herself.
“Monday Painters was the best thing because you go and even when you’re just starting out, you get to put a picture up and people will walk by and someone will say…oh, I like your picture, and you can’t believe it at first,” she said.
Payette is excited about being this year’s featured artist, at the Monday Painters 56th Annual Art Show on Saturday Apr. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Agassiz United Church.
“When you’re the featured artist you get to put ten paintings up,” she said. “It’s an honour to be the featured artist because there’s great talent at the Monday group.”
