If you live in Burlington, chances are you've seen the work of Wendy Carmichael Bauld.
But Bauld, one of Burlington’s most talented artists, never imagined she’d be painting most of her life, or that her work would be exhibited around the world and be honoured with countless awards.
Most recently, ornate sterling silver antiques have been the subject of many of her pieces, and the details she captures are magnificent. Light and shadow are Bauld’s friends.
“I adore my silver; some may think it’s old fashioned, but I love capturing all those reflections," she said. "I love the play of light and shadow and how it can change in a moment.”
Just like life.
Bauld did a turnaround as an artist following a horrific, near-death swimming nightmare in the ocean. Twelve years ago, she broke her leg after getting caught in a wicked undertow and required emergency surgery in St. Lucia. Thinking of her beloved family, along with her determination to live, kept her from surrendering.
“In those early years, I thought my paintings were so vibrant and dynamic, I would dance when I would paint,” she said, noting that while she can see the freedom of expression in those paintings, but they were more rudimentary. “
I didn’t realize it at the time. It’s been life-changing. Whenever I think of my injury, I never allow frustration in my work. You make lemonade out of lemons. That was kind of a catapult for me doing these still lifes, sort of an introspection and growth for me and it brought me a lot of peace with evolution.”
Once a seasoned acrylic artist who brought florals to life, she switched to oils and turned to brush to still lifes and portraits.
Those who appreciate art are thankful. Just ask the patrons of the Burlington Centre, where 14 of her works transform a dull corridor to the food court into a walk down memory lane marked by the beauty she captures so wonderfully. Many city scenes and culture are depicted in her artwork: moms with children, Spencer Smith Park among others.
When the Centre was renovated in 2018, she was asked to be the featured artist
Five years later, her paintings still capture the eyes of thousands of shoppers every day. And nothing pleases her more. She loves to sit in the lounges nearby so she can hear comments. She said it makes her feel happy to know how much people relate to the art.
Bauld said she never imagined she’d be painting for so long, with so much success. The years slipped by, because she loves it so much. Painting makes her whole.
“I kind of surprise myself sometimes. I never thought in a million years – first of all I’d be doing still life – and it would just continue,” said Bauld, 68. She has two daughters and a son, and is proud grandma of six grandchildren, three boys and three girls; all have been subjects for her work.
She said she had hard and frustrating moments through the transition to a new medium and discipline, but she never gave up.
“I’d be watching and rewatching this downloaded course. I watched it meticulously for months. And my husband thought I was obsessed, but that’s how I learned realism,” said Bauld, who is otherwise self-taught, other than some workshops she has taken.
“I knew I had to find a way. You don’t give up. I just kept painting,” said the artist, whose accreditations include Society of Canadian Artist and Federation of Canadian Artists accreditation, to name a few.
Each morning after coffee with her husband Stephen, who heads upstairs to his studio in their Alton Village home, she makes her way downstairs to her studio, recently renovated to make room for more shelving for some 400 works of art she’s painted.
This is where she spends most of the day creating, fine-tuning and working her magic. “I paint every single day; I love it that much,” she said.
At the end of the day, the painting goes upstairs for the night; there are better drying conditions, but more importantly it can be properly critiqued by her and her husband, whom she said is her biggest cheerleader and advocate.
“I look at it while I cook dinner and I see it through different eyes,” she said.
Her drive, commitment, discipline and determination have been character traits she learned when she met her husband while participating with him in karate in 1972. Together, they competed all over, winning many awards along the way.
The callisthenics training, she explained, was very tough: hundreds of sit-ups, push-ups, running and more. Prior to her accident, she ran every day; now she walks daily, and says it keeps her in shape and help her stay grounded.
Her husband calls her the Energizer bunny, and encourages her to take a day off, but she doesn’t. She admits she rarely steps away from her work.
“It interferes with my day, if I go to lunch. I am so propelled to come downstairs,” she laughed. “I’m always thinking, always tinkering. I know there’s a fine line between passion and obsession.”
She says she’s always been driven, being born in the centre of five siblings, in the middle of three girls.
“It’s really hard for me to take a break and stop. I’m thankful everyday that I can do that,” she said. “I’m not driven by money or finances."
Instead, she gets satisfaction from completing a painting. “When I finish a painting, I’m on cloud nine. It’s like a gift I’ve given myself.”
And for that, she said the number one word she’d use to describe that feeling is gratitude.
She’s spent two weeks on her current painting that’s nearing completion.
Bauld says she ends up being an intricate part of each silverware still life she paints; she can be spotted, upon careful inspection, in the tiniest self portrait, since it would be impossible to paint the intricate silverware without being in its reflection. On top of that, her charming and colourful dresses double as props for her glimmering silverware.
She has been part of some of the most prestigious exhibitions in the world, including Gemluc at The Rainier Auditorium in Monte Carlo; she was the sole Canadian.
Authentic and down to earth, Bauld isn’t one to shine the spotlight on her achievements, but they are plentiful.
“They are very special to me; they validate me on my own journey. I’m not competing with anybody else, but they tell me I’m on the right track and that I’ve grown as an artist.”
She says she was particularly pleased when she was elected to the Society of Canadian Arts and top prize winner for an exhibition in Montreal.
“When I heard that, I literally almost fell off my chair,” she said, noting it was for a painting she had done featuring one of the silver items that had once belonged to her great grandmother. She said she got chills when she went to the opening reception in Montreal. She won first Award of Excellence for that show. “I started to cry. My mother grew up in Montreal; my great grandparents bought that silverware from Montreal. That’s the pinnacle of my entire art journey.”
Currently, three of her paintings are on display at Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery, as part of the Canadian Federation of Artists Toronto chapter show "Perspectives."
