WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE?
This Saskatoon Artist Wants You to Create a Masterpiece of Your Life
Painter and CAA Member Christina Thoen discusses creative inspiration and where to grab the best coffee in Saskatoon.
By Nicole Keen
(Above) Besnard Memories by Christina Thoen. (Below) Thoen in her studio. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CHRISTINA THOEN; COURTESY OF CHRISTINA BOURNE
Christina Thoen has been painting since childhood, and she plans to continue into her 90s. Painting is truly her life’s work, and she is intent on sharing that passion with others. One way she does this is through the two art schools she owns in Prince Albert and Saskatoon. What she teaches in her lessons is often more profound than how to put pencil to paper. “Even if you don’t think you can draw a stick man, you can create a masterpiece,” she says. “You can create a masterpiece of your life.”
What do you enjoy most about teaching? Just seeing that light bulb go off and the blossoming of joy as students see that they can actually do it. Anyone can learn to draw. I also get to be a part of people’s lives. I have students who have been with me for 21 years.
How do you protect your creative energy? My morning routine: I exercise, I do yoga, and I meditate every morning. I do what I need to do for myself first, and then I’m there for the world.
Who is your favourite artist? I’m very connected to Vincent van Gogh. When we were in the South of France, we went to the asylum [where he lived]. I stepped out of the bus, and I just started to weep.
What do you love about living in Saskatoon? I’m right downtown, so [my house is] less than half a block from my studio. I’m probably about a block from the Remai Modern. Their coffee spot has the best coffee. There are so many different music venues and art venues [in Saskatoon]. I have a show coming up at Calories Bakery and Restaurant, so there are different places to show your work here, too.
What inspires you? People who have purchased my work talk about how it feels happy. I don’t paint unless I’m in a happy place. If I’m having an off day, you won’t catch me in the studio. [You know how] some artists paint for therapy? That’s not me! I’m always really excited to paint and I’m excited to just share that on a canvas. CAA
(Clockwise from top left) Vincent Van Gogh’s room in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum; a detail from Van Gogh’s oil painting, The Ward in the Hospital in Arles, 1889; the busy Remai Modern museum in Saskatoon, interior and exterior. | PHOTOS: MARIANNE CASAMANCE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; COURTESY OF VGGALLERY; COURTESY OF REMAI GALLERY
“I don’t paint unless I’m in a happy place. If I’m having an off day, you won’t catch me in the studio.”