Maud Lewis

You like Maud Lewis's deceptively masterful paintings. Lewis was a Nova Scotia folk artist. You can read about her, and see a handful of her paintings, here: http://www.lighthouse.ca/maud.html

You think her paintings look childish, yes? Well, you're wrong. She was a genius, and me saying so is all the proof you need. It may be hard to define the essence of her work's power, but it has something to do with the magic that happens when an art form develops in a particular place and then captures the spirit of that place perfectly. Like the rocks of Peggy's Cove, or the red cliffs of Fundy, her paintings were an organic part of Nova Scotia. For the true devotee of that wonderful place, seeing Lewis's work is like tasting a hint of salt in the air.

You're waiting for me to say something funny, right? Well I'm not your trained monkey - I won't make gratuitous jokes about her deformed hands and crippled body just to give you a few cheap chuckles. There's nothing funny about the fact that she looked like a wizened hobbit. Nothing at all. Seriously. No, really.