One of St. Albert's rising artistic talents is about to celebrate her first solo show this weekend at the city's newest spa. The event is proof positive that she's got what it takes to go from apprentice to master in just a few years.
Memory Roth started learning to paint using the methods of the Old Masters only a few years ago. She said that it's like a dream come true to have such success in an unexpected field of her life. After all, it wasn't so long ago that she put brush to canvas for the first time.
"Isn't that something? I keep pinching myself because it's happened so suddenly, just out of the blue. If you had asked me in August of 2006 what I was going to do, I had no clue. I didn't know what I was going to do."
At that time the 50-year-old stay at home mom was looking for some kind of hobby or job to occupy her after her daughter graduates from high school in 2012. She took some classes at Hidden Talent Fine Art School in Campbell Park under the direction of Laura Watmough. She called it 'goofing around' but something clicked for her.
"All of a sudden, it just took off."
Sometimes when you put the two exact perfect people together, everything just moves along so quickly and smoothly.
"I've only been involved in the art world … since September of 2006. That's when I discovered oil painting and it wasn't probably until a year ago August that I decided that this is definitely the career that I want to pursue."
A new master
Roth has already had her share of success with her paintings and not just with her participation in shows.
Two years ago, her work called Boats of Portsoy won an honourable mention, one of only three prizes, from the international Torrit Grey Competition conducted by the Gamblin Artists Colors company of Portland, Ore.
The competition required participants to use a special grey paint made from recycled pigment dust of other paint colours. It's fair to say that such a limited palette can make for a challenge for any respectable artist as the finished product will inevitably come out looking like a black and white picture.
It probably helped Roth's standing in the contest that her instruction focused on the importance of an underpainting or first layer of monochromatic paint to help guide the light and dark values of the finished work.
"It was my very first contest."
That work was then published along with the other winners in the June 2009 edition of American Artist magazine, lending even more prominence to her accidental hobby.
That win helped her gain not only stature in the visual arts community but boosted her confidence significantly. She remains humble about her talent but still enthusiastic about what painting still holds in store for her.
"It's amazing. I'm very surprised, so thrilled and so grateful. I really do feel it's a gift from God. I just can't believe it half the time."
Her show this weekend at Heaven Essence Spa will feature 20 original works along with some limited edition reproductions as well, many of which are in colour, not just black and white.
Memory's: A One Woman Art Show and Sale
Opening night is Friday, March 4 from 7 to 9 p.m., coinciding with spa opening.
Heaven Essence Spa
123 - 15 Circle Dr.
