As a math, computer science and art teacher, which included a stint in the 1970s in the Coquitlam school district, as well as a mother of two, Myda Schmidt had little time to dabble in her creative hobbies.
So it wasn't until she retired that the Port Moody resident could further her talents full-time - not only in drawing and painting but in sewing and fibre arts.
Over the past few years, Schmidt has taken an active role in the local arts scene, being a member of the exhibition committee at the Port Moody Arts Centre, presiding over the Suite E Life Drawing Group and displaying her work around the Tri-Cities and at the Federation of Canadian Artists' gallery on Granville Island.
And her paintings - three of which she'll have for sale at this weekend's Port Moody Art Association fall show, the largest display of the year in the Tri-Cities of original art - are easy to pick out in a packed room.
Her palette is bold and varied, and her subjects are simple but have a dream-like quality. Schmidt works from a photo, the image of which she has captures while on a nature walk or around her home.
For example, her Dahlia Backs Are Beautiful - a large acrylic on masonite bursting with magentas, oranges and reds - was pictured in the garden of her home, which overlooks Port Moody Inlet. Her Nature Reclaims The Railway, showing fall leaves on the rail track, was also taken off Ioco Road while her still-life After The Opera - red shoes with a program and bonbons on a chair - was re-created in her living room.
Schmidt said she takes time capturing her images on canvas, spending about a month on each painting; she is aware buyers are making an investment and "they'll have to look at it for a long, long time," she said.
Still, acrylic painting isn't her only passion (recently, she took a workshop in oil painting) as much of her time is spent on Suite E programs and connecting with fellow art teachers.
She encourages high school students to join Suite E (with parental consent) to learn about the human form. She also sees post-secondary students - especially those in computerized animation - wanting to build their portfolios.
As for the Port Moody Art Association display, of which Schmidt has participated every year since joining the group six years ago, she said the public will get a chance to view the wide range of artistry, with more than 300 paintings from 70 member artists. "There's something for everyone," she said.
The Port Moody Art Association's 46th annual exhibition and sale of original paintings will open Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Port Moody rec complex (300 Ioco Rd.). Exhibiting artists, city councillors as well as Col. R.C. Moody (aka the Rev. David Spence) will attend the city centennial event. The show continues on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit portmoodyartassociation.com for more.
