Clinton News-Record, 1984-07-11, Page 31Bayfield artist uses various
methods to express her talents
By Wendy Somerville
When Leda McAlister was a young girl of
13, she picked up enough courage to submit
an entry for a World War II poster contest.
She won. This was the beginning of a lifelong
relationstupbetween a wonnan and her love
for the urts.
Taday,,, Leda and her husband Alex are
Still surrounded by art. They live in a multi-
storied home On the picturesque shoreline of
Lake Huron in Bayfield, where Leda paints,
does pencil sketches, wood carting and
gardening.
She has just completed a series called
Changing Ways and Customs. The paintings
depict rural life and one piece in particular
shows a large gathering at a strawberry
festival in small a Ontario town. The series
was so popular that the strawberry festival
painting is the last piece left.
"I quite often apply land and people,"
explained Leda. "And I should really do
more because they sell quickly."
Over the last few years, Leda has moved
through a number of artistic cycles. She
explained, "You sort of develop in one area
then move on to something else."
Her husband Alex has been coming to
Bayfield since he was a boy. Nearly 10 years
ago he and his wife decided to settle and
build a home on the outskirts of the village.
The couple had come from Toronto where
they were both employed with the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Leda had a studio -gallery, in Unionville,
Toronto, and she also sold her work in other
Toronto galleries. When she was involved
with the CBC, she wrote, painted and played
a major role in the production of the
program, This Land.
"I had quite a bit of television coverage,"
she added.
When the McAlisters _decided to escape
the hustle and bustle of the big city, they
decided Bayfield would be an ideal location
to live and enjoy, "an easy life".
"I don't want a big business," she
stressed. "That is why the sign at the end of
the laneway is small."
th ht of having a
Leda hasn't even oug
,special -show in the area, for her work.
One of her most recent series is a selection
of sketches and ideas of scenes from a trip to
Mexico.
"I'm not really a traveller, but my
husband and I recently went to Mexico," she
said. "We made the trip because I hurt my
back skiing,(so a winter vacation was out).
While I was there I did some skteches for, a
series of eight paintings."
The paintings show the many aspects of
life in a small Mexican village.
Leda's husband, is also involved in visual
art. In 1960 he won grand prize from Life
magazine for a series of photographers on
hands.
Art has always played an important part
in the McAlister family. Leda's father and
sisters were also lovers of art. Her father
was a creative musician and painter and her -
two sisters are now popular writers. She
said that her children, eight sons, have.
dabbled in writing at one time or another.
The painter's life is far more tranquil now
than it was when, she first finished school.
Leda explained that after .studying fashion
design at The Toronto School of Design, she
was thrust into a world of unscrupulous
people and she describes it as a, "tough
business."
Today, she is constantly experimenting
with new ways to express her feelings, with
art. A large molded piece of driftwood has
become part of a small bannister that leads
to a sunken living room in the McAlister
home. The wood was found washed. up on a
Bayfield Beach.
"I just love the piece," commented Leda.
"I have carved and burnt out areas so that
now I think it shows the polarity of man:
Blanketing the multi-level home are herb
and flower gardens; carefully sculptured
but rugged enough to blend into a rocky
background.
"Gardening and. landscaping , is 'a
fascinating thing," she noted. "In a way,
you are painting a composition by planting
trees or removing bushes."
Seen working on one of her recent paintings from her Mexico series is Leda McAllister,
Bayfield artisan. The painter uses a number of art forms to express a variety of talents.
(Wendy Somerville photo)
Simples procedures can prevent
The vast majority of drownings predic-
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According to the Royal Life Saving Society
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