West Island artist exhibits her work

West Island artist and Beaconsfield resident, Norma Bradley-Walker will exhibit her most recent series of paintings “Heritage Homes of Montreal” at the Galerie Ouest in Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue starting this Thursday. The exhibition will include 30 original paintings showcasing the charm of these homes and the urban architecture unique to Montreal.

As a relative newcomer to Montreal, she often feels like a tourist in her own city. Intrigued by the architecture and stair cases unique to our city, Norma has taken hundreds of photographs while exploring the heritage neighbourhoods of Montreal.

When you drive by the greystones or the heavily treed neighbourhoods downtown you don’t notice the lovely architectural details. You really need to wander up and down the streets and stop and take time to notice the craftsmanship of these gems. The City of Montreal has a strong Historic Society that helps homeowners restore their homes with integrity. Not all homes have been lovingly restored but if you study them you will often notice that one or two in the row of homes is original and you can then imagine what the rest would have looked like in their prime.

Norma often takes artistic licence by restoring the homes in her paintings. When wandering through the neighbourhoods with her camera and sketchbook in hand she was often amazed at the number of people who were interested in what she was doing. They would often tell her about their homes and renovations, their neighbourhood or other neighbourhoods to explore.

The Exhibition opens at Galerie Ouest, 37, rue St. Thomas, Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue on May 27 and runs through to June 2. For gallery hours, please visit www.galerieouest.ca