Analysis: Maud Lewis' Painted House
Maud Lewis is a Canadian folk artist who I found through the film about her life entitled 'Maudie'. Though her style is fairly simple and almost child-like featuring an abundance of nature, bright colors and limited shading, the pieces are as refreshing as they are sweet. Where so many artists are obsessed with making their art realistic, it's nice to see someone like Lewis who enjoys art for the creative process and the reactions her work produces. Lewis had rheumatoid arthritis from an early age and so painting was her release, I think this sense of escapism permeates through her work. The most inspiring piece, for me, is actually the house she lived in with her husband, Everett Lewis, which though tiny, only measuring at 4.1 x 3.8 meters, was filled with paintings of the land, agriculture and nature around them. Though unintentional, it has become an installation that looks into the lives of both Lewis and her husband.
Lewis never really traveled and lived her entire life only an hour away from where she was born and so her inspiration came from the life around her, particularly nature with which she clearly has a strong fascination. Most of her paintings are of local animals or landscapes and even in the house, the paintings are mostly of the plants around the house. The child-like quality of the painting makes the house seem more homely and welcoming though it does appear like a dollhouse in photos due to its tiny size. The bright paints present a cheeriness that wasn't prevalent in most of Lewis' life and emphasizes the sense of escapism within her art. The paintings present almost idyllic scenes, like something out of child's book or postcard.
Nearly everything was painted from the walls, to the stove and breadbox, the doors, stairs and windows as well, which really expresses Lewis' love for painting and even for the house. I want my project to follow a similar vein, covering almost everything in words to show the reality of family versus the appearance and expectations of family. Lewis dedicated her life to it and I think that's beyond admirable. Even the exterior was painted with flowers and animals , many people who passed by admired the painting and many tourists were drawn to buy postcards and paintings advertised on the house. The paintings themselves were painted in boat paint and usually on board that her husband cut himself as they lived in poverty. Lewis' art was their main source of income and many of the paintings were sold for $2.50 - they now sell for more than $125,000.
After Everett died, 9 years after Lewis, victim to a robbery gone wrong, the house was protected by the Painted House Society until it was sold to the Province of Nova Scotia and moved to be preserved and protected in the Scotibank Maud Lewis Gallery at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia where it still resides today. Maud Lewis' life has been preserved in a biopic called 'Maudie' and it's this film that helped me find Lewis.
I think Lewis' entire life is inspirational and I will always have a soft spot for her work, I love how happy and cheerful it is when everything Lewis went through could have been rendered negatively, she chooses to be positive and that's honestly beautiful. I love the child-like quality of her style and I think the fact that Lewis could retain this throughout her life is very precious. Too many people focus on making art that says something or is in hyper realistic detail and so the enjoyment and fascination Lewis is so full of, is lost in the pressure to be the best. Lewis has reminded me why I love and chose to pursue art which had been lost in the stress and pressure of exams and a-levels, though this year on foundation has helped me discovery my love for art again. I want to capture this sense of life within my own piece and if I do create a dinning room installation, I want it to be covered in words and images of family life.
