Pelican at Dam
Meg Smart
Watercolour
12" x 15"
2020
I was born in Hamilton Ontario in 1944 on very stormy day in June. As I grew up my grandmother and I would explore the world of art and nature. I had a fascination with nature as a young person. I would enjoy nothing more than listening to music or sitting on rock and the highest hill of our farm in Lowville drawing anything that appealed to me. In high school Robert Bateman was my art teacher.
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 35 years old, I took up bird carving for 15 years with Gary Rector. In 2019 I suffered from a near fatal accident when I recovered, I entered a long-term care home at 75. I enrolled in online drawing classes (Craig Berry) and watercolour classes (Alison Montgomery). I decided with them I would specialize in human portraits and landscape. Which I now enjoy. When I do my art all my symptoms stop.
I had a rewarding career as an academic teaching many facets of veterinary medicine to veterinary students through my long years of study I learned to appreciate that all nature is interconnected you cannot harm one part of nature without harming all the rest. A valuable lesson.
"You are never too old to follow your passion."