Mother and daughter showcase their art at Kerrobert
By Joan Janzen
KERROBERT - It’s a real treat for Rosemarie Stadnyk and her daughter Melanie Rudy to share their art at the Kerrobert Art Gallery during the summer months. Rosemarie and Melanie said the first show they had done together was ten years ago in North Battleford, so they were thrilled to be the guests of honour at a reception held on Sunday afternoon, July 13.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO! Melanie Rudy (left) and her mom, Rosemarie Stadnyk were the guests of honour at the Kerrobert Art Gallery on Sunday afternoon, July 13th. This is the second art show the mother-daughter duo have done together. Their art work is on display at the gallery until the end of September. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Visitors view one of Rosemarie Stadnyk’s poppy paintings. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Melanie Rudy chats about her “Mom’s First Quilt”. The quilt top is combined with Melanie’s denim experiment. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
This “Temperature Quilt” is very unique. It shows the daily temperature from September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
Rosemarie shared a couple of her passions: poppies and the indigo dye process. “I became fascinated by the history of indigo, the process and how it’s made,” she explained. Her display of wall hangings, beautiful shawls and tea towels utilizing a folding and clamping technique was evidence of Rosemarie’s love of all things indigo.
Her paintings combine acrylics with collage and Japanese papers. She also had a display of art inspired by her Saskatchewan garden and poppies. Utilizing gel, molding paste and small pieces of paper, Rosemarie creates a texture at the back adorned with poppies painted in acrylic. The 85-year-old retired high school art teacher recently changed her focus from being a professional ceramic and pottery artist to painting and creating indigo art pieces.
Her daughter Melanie has been sewing since she was a little girl. At this show, she proudly displayed “Mom’s First Quilt.” “Mom’s not a quilter,” she admitted; however, she joined the North Battleford Quilting Club, and combined her one and only quilt top with Melanie’s “Study in Denim”.
Since beginning to quilt in 2007, Melanie has incorporated various materials into her quilts. Each square of her “temperature quilt” records the temperature during the year beginning September 1, 2020, to the end of August 2021. “It was a lot of work,” Melanie said.
The textile artist also makes wearable art sweaters and wool felt bags. Melanie and her husband raise Black Welsh Mountain Sheep on their hobby farm, and Melanie uses the black wool for her art. She begins by making a large wool bag, which is then sanitized and shrinks when washed. Melanie transforms discarded materials into fresh works of art; each piece blends old and new and tells a story.
Approximately thirty people enjoyed the afternoon at the Kerrobert Art Gallery. Melanie and Rosemarie’s work will continue to be showcased at the gallery until the end of September.