Waterloo Public Library Digital Collections

Waterloo Chronicle (Waterloo, On1868), 22 Feb 1978, p. 21

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Brenda Wood, Kitchener, a member of Golden Triangle Cat Fanciers, shows off her two pureâ€"bred Himalayans, one of which will be exhibited in the club‘s first all breed cat show scheduled for March 26 at the University of Guelph. By Jim MacDonald It may not be nice to fool Mother Nature but it sure is great to capture her on canvas. A look around the Mutual Life gallery on King and Union Streets one day until March 3 will attest to that. Local landscape artist Norma Scharman is disâ€" playing 55 of her richly coloured oil paintings in the gallery. Each one is a piercingly accurate reproducâ€" tion of an actual scene from the outdoors. Each one is a reflection of her love for both painting and naâ€" She has sold paintings to Europeans and Ameriâ€" cans. One painting even found its way to Japan for a while, owned by a neighbour‘s son who works with the external affairs department. Her formula is simple: ‘‘People like to hang them. I like to do them. That‘s about it."‘ . Three or four times a year, Norma puts down the paint brush, picks up a camera and journeys to various parts of the province to photograph natural scenes. She uses the pictures and slides to do her paintings. The journeys have taken her through the Muskoka and Kawartha regions, up the Bruce Peninsula, east to the Maritimes and to Lake Placid, New York and the Adirondack Mountains. Her success in selling paintings, she feels, is because people like owning originals and enjoy the knowledge that the painting is a reproduction of an actual scene. Although she would like to try her hand at porâ€" traits, her first love since she began oil painting about 14 years ago has been and will continue to be landscapes. Her appreciation of nature developed as a child when she spent two months each summer on an uncle‘s farm. She‘s been interested in art since a child and some of her pieces even then were enterâ€" ed in Toronto competitions. . Now, Norma estimates she paints at least 30 hours a week and often more, somedays past midâ€" night. But it‘s still only a serious hobby ; she doesn‘t consider it a job. But it was about eight years ago, when her chilâ€" dren were older and she had more free time, when she began to paint fulltime. "I don‘t want to be pushed to paint. You just can‘t rush a painting. I don‘t ever feel like rushing a painting."‘ She has painted hundreds of works through the years including an estimated 80 last year. Most are eventually sold. Costs of her pieces range from $36 up to $400 with the majority in the $275 range. Considerable exâ€" penses, besides the manhours, are involved includâ€" ing supplies, transportation and frames. The one painting priced at $400 was initially sold until her daughter Mariene objected. "I have that Waterloo artist‘s display at Mutual Life gallery By Terry James Local residents are strictâ€" ly for the dogs. At least this is what Brenda Wood, a member of the Golden Triangle â€" Cat _ Fanciers, thought at this time last year. Today, she‘s not so sure this is the case as more and more feline fans are beginâ€" ning to crawl out of the woodwork. A love of nature and painting is combined by Normd Scharman of Winfield Avenue to produce richly coloured landscapes. Golden _ Triangle _ Cat Fanciers, involving 20 acâ€" tive members from Kitchenâ€" erâ€"Waterloo, New Hamburg and Guelph, met for the first time in January of 1977. Associate members come from as far away as Lonâ€" don and St. Catharines. ‘‘When we started, we really didn‘t know if anyone would be interested," said Ms. Wood. a Kitchener resident. "It is basically a dog town."‘ _ _ The club‘s aim is to proâ€" mote the welfare of cats and give breeders and cat fans one,""‘ recalled Mariene, a WLU business student. ‘‘That‘s the one I claimed." Other family members have claimed pieces, too. lnfact,painhz‘ is very much a family affair at the Scharman on Winfield Avenue. Marâ€" lene paints as has her two brothers. Even Norma‘s husband Carl has painted a couple besides helping her own painting. ‘"He really takes a big interest in helping me get the slides," Norma noted. He also built a trailer to transport the paintings to exhibits which over the past three years have been held in local shopping malls and in Owen Sound. The Scharman‘s own a cottage at Chesley Lake near Owen Sound. Some people will come and ask for a specific scene. Norma, however, never puts the ‘hard sell‘ on a customer. Her attitude is a person has to live with a painting every day and must be completely satisfied with their purchase. Consequently, she has exchanged pieces on occasion. Norma took lessons from noted area artist Kouâ€" sal who she obviously respects. "As far as I‘m conâ€" During _ the _ meetings. breeders inform _ fellow members about proper cat and kitten care and the resâ€" ponsibilities cat owners and breeders face. A veterinarâ€" ian is also on hand for mediâ€" cal and training advice. a chance to get together and share ideas. Members also hope to donate funds to Dr. Charles Povey, a University of Gueliph proâ€" fessor who is doing reâ€" search on cats. Members get together once a month at each other‘s homes and the Siamese, Persian, Himalayan, Rusâ€" sian Blue, Rex, and Abyssinâ€" ian breeds, are well repâ€" resented as are regular household pets. ‘"‘The club offers good exposure for veterinarians," said Ms. Wood. "It has been estimated that 80 per cent of their business is dogs and only 20 per cent is dealâ€" ing with cats." One of the organization‘s aims is to protmmote cat shows and forâ€"the past few weeks members have been scurryâ€" ing around doing just that. On March 26, the club will host its first All Breed Cat Show in the Peter Clark Hall, University of Guelph. Ms. Wood said the limit is 175 entries and she is conâ€" vinced they will get at least that many and there is a possibility they will have to turn late entries away. She said they are receiving more entries from the Unitâ€" ed States than Canada and she attributes this to the show‘s â€"proximity to New York and Michigan and to the fact that the event will be held on a long weekend. Boris Teron, Chicago, and Donna _ Jean Thompson. Henryville © Pennsylvania, will officiate as all breed judges, while Diana Doernâ€" burg, Cincinatti Ohio and Don Williams, Mechanicsâ€" burg will judge the longhair / shorthair _ specialty. _ All not a passing lhm’, _ And Norma‘s future hopes? It‘s mainly to conâ€" tinue learning and trying to paint even more realisâ€" tic than now. schedule. "As soon as you do that, you don‘t find anytime to paint yourself .‘ Beginning artists must really want to do it to reach any level of proficiency. "It really comes from within you,‘" Norma feels. Added Marlene, ‘"You have to want to do it It‘s The Mutual Life gallery is open five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Interested persons can arrange an after hours tour by phoning 885â€"3270. cerned, that‘s the man.‘"‘ . About two years ago, Norma began teaching too. "It‘s nice to be able to heip people enjoy something that you enjoy."‘ > She finds passing her skills onto others rewarding. But she won‘t expand her two small classes a week Entrance to the gallery is through Mutual Life‘s Union Street door. Give us your news C Re ol Purebreds will be judgâ€" ed on their body type, head type, eye colour and strucâ€" ture. Judges will handle them to determine body weight and disposition. The novice class, cats eight months of age and over and the open class, those cats which have won one ribbon, will compete for winners ribbons. After six ribbons a cat is considered a champion and will go on to compete for the honour of being a grand champion. judges will have a part in judging household pets. Ms. Woods said the judgâ€" ing of household pets is perhaps the most fun and best liked part of the entire show. _ ‘*People just crowd around this area." said Ms. Wood. "It‘s more of a fun thing and the winner really depends on the judge‘s perâ€" sonal preference." es &

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