MOOSE MOUNTAIN PROVINCIAL PARK - Grant and Brenda McLaughlin have graced the Artist Colony of Moose Mountain Provincial Park before and now four years later, have returned this year.
After getting his degree at the Alberta College of Arts, Grant McLaughlin started teaching art at Central Collegiate in Moose Jaw, where he worked his entire career.
McLaughlin has loved creating and teaching art and showing the kids how a piece is created.
Now retired, McLaughlin is focusing on his sculptures and murals.
His murals can be seen all over Saskatchewan. These murals are painted on the sides of buildings, usually incorporating a historical or sentinel event from the town.
Each mural needs to be assessed on what the surface is and which paints to use for durability, and then the work can begin.
McLaughlin is also a sculptor. These pieces can also be seen across the country.
Starting with a steel frame to create his pieces, concrete may be added and a fiberglass resin to make the art strong and durable.
McLaughlin sculpted the Prairie Sentinels in Estevan. Another piece he did is in Riverton, Man., which is a 12-foot-high moose.
Not all his pieces are large. He does make small1er pieces to accommodate homes.
Brenda is also full of talent. Her creations lay with stain glass artwork.
Her pieces are on display across Canada, although she prefers to not ship, due to the delicate nature of her work.
She always liked the idea of painted glass and found a teacher that was willing to teach her, and now 25 years later, it is her retirement job.
Owning a hair salon in Moose Jaw, she has a studio attached for her artwork. She no longer does hairdressing but still owns the shop.
One of her biggest jobs was the restoration of the windows at Darke Hall in Regina. This was a time-consuming job as there were over 100 windows needing work.
She loves to create colourful pieces. It takes time to get a piece together, from the wire to the colours and the placement of the design.
Her pieces are on display at the Yvette Moore Gallery in Moose Jaw.
Although she has made several large pieces, she too, makes home sized articles.
Both of the McLaughlins have been creating beautiful art for over 25 years. At first it was part time, but now retired they have made it their full-time passion.
While at the colony, the McLaughlins will be camping at Kenosee Lake with their dog Charlie, who is excited for the time in the water.
“We can either work hard at the colony or relax and enjoy the days,” said McLaughlin.
