Painter and multi-disciplinary artist Eli Barsi is the latest Saskatchewan creator to pay a visit to the Artist’s Colony cabins in Moose Mountain Provincial Park this summer.
During her two week stay at the Artist’s colony, Barsi will be exhibiting and selling her paintings as well as creating new ones. She works primarily with acrylic paint, along with some mixed media using watercolour pencils and oil-based pastels.
Born and raised on a farm near Kennedy, Barsi draws much of her inspiration from the prairie landscape.
“My art is very Canadian. I love painting landscapes [and] old buildings. I love the nostalgia of Canada so I like to keep that alive in my paintings, especially the prairie scenes with old barns and our old grain elevators,” Barsi said.
Barsi’s prairie inspiration even extends to some of the materials she uses as canvases for her paintings.
“Besides painting on canvas ... I love to paint on things that I dig up from the prairies like old gas cans, cattle skulls, bison skulls, old kettles, as well as I paint on old farmhouse and barn windows,” Barsi said. A lot of those [paintings] are very special because they're a piece of the past painted on a piece of the past.
This is Barsi’s fifth summer at the Artist’s Colony as a painter, but one of countless summers as a visitor and admirer of the other artists who have worked there in the past.
“I've always been interested and always appreciated other people's art and love coming to the Artist’s Colony when I was younger and looking at all of the beautiful artwork,” Barsi said.
Barsi now lives in Moosomin where in June 2020, she opened a store called the Prairie Girl Gallery and Gift Boutique. The Prairie Girl Gallery is located at 1011 S Front Street in the historic McNaughton building.
In addition to her work as a painter, Barsi is an award-winning professional musician who has been playing and touring for more than 35 years. Her 18th album comes out later this year.
Barsi is also the author of two books: Poems & Paintings From a Prairie Girl, a collection of poetry and Beneath the Prairie Sky, a children’s picture book.
Overall, Barsi is grateful to be able to spend time working alongside other talented artists in the beautiful setting that is Moose Mountain Provincial Park.
“Just to be in this environment is so special to me and I find myself extra inspired when I'm here … it's just a very creative space, I find it very peaceful and so enjoyable. I love every minute of it,” she said.
Barsi will be at the Moose Mountain Provincial Park Artist’s Colony cabins from July 13 to July 26. She plans to have her cabin open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information about Barsi’s art, music and writing can be found at elibarsi.com.
