Submitted by Wes Bloom
A “Meet the Artist Social” and reception was held at the Shurniak Art Gallery for Sandra Belbeck-Lamontagne of Rockglen and her “Prairie Portrait” exhibition. Nearly 100 folks from all over southern Saskatchewan braved the bitter cold and winds of the south country to honour Sandra and show their love and appreciation for her unique prairie art. Her paintings and art will displayed at the ‘Shurniak’ until April 3.
It is said: “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the ‘country’ out of the girl”. This quaint, yet appropriate, phrase must surely have been written especially for Sandra Lamontagne.
Born in 1953 in southern Saskatchewan, Sandra grew up on a farm slightly north and east of Rockglen, on the shores of Fife Lake.
Life on the farm gave Sandra a solid work ethic and the tools she would need to cope with life on the prairies for the rest of her life. She and her husband Roger raised three sons, now grown, on their ranch, due west of Lisieux, Saskatchewan. They are the proud grandparents of four beautiful young granddaughters.
Sandra Lamontagne is now, at long last, well on her way to becoming one of Saskatchewan’s best known ‘fine’ artists. She prefers to work with watercolours, but also uses ‘oils’, acrylics, pencil, and pen and ink, as well as pastels. Sandra is ‘mostly’ self-taught, but has taken a few ‘painting and drawing’ classes over the course of her life, as well as completing an Art Instruction correspondence course while still in high school in Rockglen where she graduated in 1971.
Over the years, Sandra has herself become a mentor and teacher of art, tutoring and inspiring students to pursue their passion and God-given talents in the field of art.
Active in the fine arts communities of the Southlands, Sandra has been instrumental in establishing and organizing local ‘Art in the Park’ programs and events.
Life on the farm and ranch also created within Sandra a deep love for the great outdoors, its prairie landscape and animals - both wild and domestic. Small town rodeos and the country folk who inhabit this land are just a small part of her passion for this unique and wonderful place. Sandra’s art is truly a reflection of her life on the prairies. She ‘draws’ her inspiration - no pun intended - from the land and its inhabitants.
Truth be told? ‘Horses’ are her favourite subjects to paint. Who would have guessed? Over the years, Sandra Belbeck-Lamontagne has acquired a very impressive resume and body of work. Recently, her painting “Are You Ready” was on display in the Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Office at Government House in Regina. Sandra’s work has also been shown at the Calgary Stampede, the Arts Saskatchewan Show, the reflection of Nature Show in Saskatoon, and the “Not Just Another Horse Show” in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Her work has been featured in the Sasktel Collection, two OSAC travelling displays, as well as in numerous private collections.
Sandra’s paintings have also been featured on three 4-H Christmas cards, and the 1993 SGI calander. Her illustrations also grace the pages of the children’s book “Children of the Wood Mountain Uplands” by historian Thelma Poirier. Sandra Lamontagne’s webite address is www.slamontagne.com.
