MEET THE MAKERS – Anita’s art: North Alton artist finds inspiration everywhere

NORTH ALTON, N.S. — Anita Boylan has always been very interested in art and creativity but had never thought of making it into a business. But low and behold, she did, and over 30 years later, she still is.

Boylan, who lives in North Alton, north of Kentville, is a self-taught artist.

“Everything was done through trial and error, and lucky for me, paint is very forgiving,” she said.

Boylan’s mother, a Dutch immigrant, loved the art of her homeland and, as she spoke about it, Boylan said she became interested in the beauty that could be created. But what she thinks gave her a bit of confidence was when her Grade 4 teacher asked her to create a mural of ships in their classroom.

“I thought, wow, she must think I have some talent and felt very special,” said Boylan.

Worked on skill

Fast forward to her being a young mother in the ’70s, Boylan began painting in oils as a hobby. Although she did actually sell a few pieces then, she claims the work was pretty rough. She kept working on her skill and belonged to a group which would meet at the local high school and paint together. A local artist whose work she greatly admired, Walter Kaulkman, helped them all along the way.

As life got busier, Boylan said she gave up her painting hobby and began it again, this time in acrylics in the early ’90s.

As her work progressed, Boylan said she was encouraged by people’s interest. Because of this, she started spending more time painting.

Boylan said she was soon asked by a couple from Mahone Bay to paint some seascapes on antique wooden door panels. The rest is history. This led to the last 25 years where she has been painting maritime seascapes with emphasis on the colourful cape islanders, fish shacks, cottages with quilts, lupins and buoys. These features all dominate her work.

“I love using bright, happy colours balanced by the darker, moody colours of the Atlantic Ocean,” said Boylan.

The inspiration for her pieces comes in ordinary ways. It would come from something as simple as a road trip.

Inspiration

For example, when out driving, Boylan said she has seen handcrafted quilts hanging on a clothesline driving along the French shore. This would then lead her to paint a scene of a cottage with three quilts blowing in an ocean breeze. She would create a background with a lighthouse and perhaps a boat or two and some fish acts on a wharf. And it all comes together.

“I have painted this many times, but each time a bit different.”

These types of pieces are definitely her most popular works. Customers have told Boylan that her pieces are happy paintings, which makes her happy.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to work at something I love to do.”

And speaking of customers, Boylan said her panels are now featured in homes from Newfoundland to British Columbia with some in the U.S., New Zealand and Germany.

There is also one special owner who has one of her pieces.

Boylan recounts how a young man came to her house a few years ago to buy a gift for a friend. This friend has since hung the framed print in his bathroom. Who was the owner of Boylan’s piece? None other than Sidney Crosby.

“Needless to say, I was thrilled! I love Sidney Crosby!” said Boylan. “People always laugh when I tell them he hung it in his bathroom.”

Glass art

Although her main interest is landscape painting, she also began doing some decorative art. Recently, she started creating glass art. Not only did she find it sold well at community craft fairs, but stained glass has always been something she loved. She, however, could never see herself following the rigid patterns stained glass artists used.

So, during COVID, when she was looking for something new to do, she began looking into glass on glass and resins. She found old wooden frames at thrift stores and refinished them, gluing the glass in. This created a canvas for any design she wanted. Again, she said it was trial and error, with a little help from YouTube.

Endless possibilities

Boylan began adding glass flowers, dragonflies, then cottages and quilts on the seaside, Cape islanders, lighthouses, sandpipers and beach waves. In this craft, she said you can use smaller bits of stained glass, paint, glass beads, sand and seashells. The possibilities are endless.

The finished product is then covered in resin. This gives the piece a bit of a fused glass look, plus it is so green, because it uses upcycled frames and scrap glass. It is very satisfying, she said.

Boylan works and creates under the name Anita’s Art and can be found working in her home studio in the Valley. She says she usually has paintings available by appointment. Her work can also be found on Facebook under Anita’s Art.