MAUD LEWIS (1903-1970)

Born in South Ohio, Nova Scotia, Maud Lewis spent her life creating small-scale paintings and cards depicting pastoral East coast rural scenes, which she sold when she accompanied her husband, Everett, on his daily rounds of peddling fish.

Lewis, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, spent most of her adult life in extreme poverty, sharing a one-room, 13 x 12 foot home with her husband. While there was no electricity or water, the Lewis home was lovingly covered in Maud's painting.

Through her bright, distinctive style, Lewis has become an icon of Eastern Canadian folk art. After her death in 1970, and her husband's death in 1979, their abandoned house began to deteriorate. After a group of concerned citizens lobbied for its restoration, the Province of Nova Scotia turned it over to the care of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax, where it now stands, restored and conserved in the safety of the museum.

Six years after Lewis's death, the National Film Board of Canada produced this short documentary about her life and work. It is 35 years old, so the narration is SUPER schmaltzy, but there are some gorgeous shots of Yarmouth County landscapes, Maud's paintings, and THE ORIGINAL Maud and Everett Lewis home.