In this episode of The Whistler Podcast, Councillor Cathy Jewett takes the reins as podcast host and speaks to renowned Whistler artist Isobel MacLaurin.
Isobel MacLaurin describes how she and her late husband Don MacLaurin first moved to Whistler, the cabin they built for their family, life raising their four children (whose ski passes she obtained in return for paintings commissioned by the Garibaldi Lift Company) and her work as an artist in Whistler, as well as around the world.
Isobel MacLaurin has lived in Whistler almost 60 years. She helped the arts scene in Whistler find its feet and was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award in 1991. She celebrated her 90th birthday this summer when Arts Whistler threw the Fashion Garden Party in her honour. Her paintings, many of animals, flora and fauna, can be found around Whistler and on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.
In this episode of The Whistler Podcast, Councillor Cathy Jewett takes the reins as podcast host and speaks to renowned Whistler artist Isobel MacLaurin.
Isobel MacLaurin describes how she and her late husband Don MacLaurin first moved to Whistler, the cabin they built for their family, life raising their four children (whose ski passes she obtained in return for paintings commissioned by the Garibaldi Lift Company) and her work as an artist in Whistler, as well as around the world.
Isobel MacLaurin has lived in Whistler almost 60 years. She helped the arts scene in Whistler find its feet and was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award in 1991. She celebrated her 90th birthday this summer when Arts Whistler threw the Fashion Garden Party in her honour. Her paintings, many of animals, flora and fauna, can be found around Whistler and on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.
Today on The Whistler Podcast.
Isobel MacLaurin:We checked the prices and$800 for a lot on Alta Lake.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Oh my goodness. You can't even rent a bed for a month for$800.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Hello everyone. I am Jack Crompton and he is Cole Stefiuk. And this is The Whistler Podcast as always. We want to acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional unceded territory of the Lil'wat Nation and the Squamish Nation. Hey Cole. This week is our first of the Jewett episodes. Um, and just before he came on, you're like, yeah, I'm interested to hear about what those are all about. So, uh.
Cole Stefiuk:I'm going to be recording all these interviews and I'm not exactly sure what you leaving me, Jack is that's what's going on.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Nope, no, I'm not leaving you at all. The, the, um, Councillor Jewett has a long history in our town, and she's what I would say is people go, she's more involved in this community than most that I know. And a lot of her relationships, um, go a long way back. And she's got a lot of insight around the history of this town and art and culture and, and, and how this, this place has grown. And so I thought it would make a ton of sense to have her produce and deliver some episodes for us so that we can hear a little bit about that history. Um, and, and that culture and the art that's in this town. So, uh, we plan to have her do four episodes. You and I'll be here at the beginning and the end to sort of chat through, uh, what we've heard, but I'm predicting.
Cole Stefiuk:I mean, yeah, that sounds really exciting. A different perspective on things, a different set of eyes and a different voice on everything. It will be very, very interesting to see what, uh, who she brings on and what they talk about.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Yeah, I agree. So we do know who her first episode is with Isobel MacLaurin, which is pretty exciting. Yeah.
Cole Stefiuk:What do you, what do you know about Isabelle and her work?
Mayor Jack Crompton:Well, Isobel and Don have we're here for, I mean, Don's no longer with us. Uh, he's he's passed on, but the two of them were real pioneers in this town. She's really Whistler's first working artist. So a lot of what you'll see an old signs that were on Whistler mountain and some of the early Blackcomb stuff where her paintings, if you have ever seen a painting of a whiskey jack in this town, it's probably hers, but she she's painted mountain signs and then done some tremendous, um, art that just sort of represents our town. And so she's a painter. Um, but also, you know, before there was community centres and stuff like that, um, they would host community dances and they were people who threw parties or husband, Don was a forester. And so a lot of the forestry kind of stuff that's been done in this valley has been laid out by him. Um, the two of them have served this town for a very long time. So I'm looking forward to hearing what she has to
Cole Stefiuk:Say. Yeah. I'm looking forward to that too.
Mayor Jack Crompton:So yeah, the first of the Jewett episodes I'm pretty excited about it. Uh, so let's start with ask Jack anything, ask Cole anything, we'll start with you. Ask me anything, Cole you're up. Right.
Cole Stefiuk:I don't know if you saw this a few weeks ago, there was this big trend online where, you know, it was like post a picture of your pet and, uh, and we'll plant the tree. And then the company who did that, they didn't plant any trees cause like 5 million people posted photos. It was a big deal. Yeah. Um, yeah, they, they were called Plant The Tree company and they were like, we'll plant the tree for every pet picture. They got like over 5 million and they were like, you know what? We can't do that. What I wanted to ask though, cause I've been thinking about what we could do here. I know it's winter, so we can't do it now. Can you just plant trees or is there like a long process to getting approval from like the city to plant trees
Mayor Jack Crompton:In your yard? Or just like, can you go into the woods?
Cole Stefiuk:And I go into the woods and plant trees. Cause like, if I were to do something similar, I don't think there'd be enough room in my yard to plant all the trees. You know,
Mayor Jack Crompton:I don't know the answer to that. I mean, I know cutting down trees is a big process in our town for sure. Um, you, you can't do cutting that is sort of unpermitted, but as far as planting trees, I think, you know, if you're doing landscaping on your property, that's often times, especially when you build a house, part of the plans that are presented. But, um, I don't know the answer to that Cole.
Cole Stefiuk:Okay. So ask Jack a question, a B or whatever, uh, cutting down trees. Can I go get a Christmas tree?
Mayor Jack Crompton:Can you, what, can I go
Cole Stefiuk:Cut a Christmas tree or do I have to get like a permit for that?
Mayor Jack Crompton:Okay. You can cut underneath, um, hydro lines. Oh yeah. So don't go and cut down in non hydro line places, but where there's a hydro line, you're allowed to cut down a Christmas tree. Okay.
Cole Stefiuk:This I'm learning. I'm very excited that this year. Okay. Sorry. Go ahead. Ask me anything.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Okay. So, uh, there's all kinds of, uh, contests that Mountain FM do. Does I want to hear about the very best contest ever delivered by Mountain FM?
Cole Stefiuk:Oh, very best ever by mountain FM. It's gonna be hard for me to say, cause I don't know the whole history of the station. Well,
Mayor Jack Crompton:Since you've been, since
Cole Stefiuk:I've been here, we have a contest called Living the Dream or live the dream and we get like 13, 14 businesses from out the, see the sky and they put together like, you know, 500 to a thousand dollars prizes each into this pool. And instead of winning, like one of those prizes, the grand winner just wins all of them. Oh. So I didn't have a chance. I kind of got here right at the tail end of the last in-person one we were allowed to have because of the pandemic. But I do know that that's like a huge deal. It's a party and a half. And like someone wins like 20 grand worth of stuff. So that's definitely the contest that we got here for sure. The biggest one there's tons. Yeah.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Do you draw a name or do you have to do something to win?
Cole Stefiuk:Basically. It's like you enter online and I know that it changes like year to year and I'm not really the person in charge of like putting that all out there. But I do know that it's like the biggest contest. We get tons of people into to win because of course you're getting, you know, like 20 grand worth of stuff for, uh, for just entering a form. It's a, it's, it's huge. And then there's like a big, usually a party where people get together. There's like 10 finalists or whatever, and they go about their business. I haven't had a chance to do it in person yet because of COVID. So hopefully next year we'll get to do that again.
Mayor Jack Crompton:I think you guys should move from drawing a name to like feats of strength and stuff like that. Like lift this rock over your head and you can win 20,000 dollars.
Cole Stefiuk:I like that. I'll pass that to through the team for sure for next year.
Mayor Jack Crompton:All right. Let's move on to last week's headlines. Last week's headlines. We read three and Cole chooses one and we talk about it. Now. The first one is Nordic housing project moves closer to reality. Number two, Armour w proposes 6.72% tax increase in 2022 and third RCMP report four people now missing in deadly mudslides, north of Pemberton.
Cole Stefiuk:I think we were missed if we didn't talk about the weather events from last week and the mudslide that we're still currently dealing with. Um, so I guess I, I guess that's the one I want to talk about. I don't like what's, what's that from your perspective, how chaotic and how crazy has the past week been with the weather? I mean, obviously our town hasn't been hit as hard as some, but obviously still a lot.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Yeah. It's heartbreaking. I, um, had a conversation with a really good friend of mine. He's the chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District, which is sort of Surrey east to Hope. Um, and we had a long chat and it was just devastating to hear about, um, what's actually going on there there's, you know, an old lake bed. I don't know if you've, you've really looked into this, but Sumas Prairie, which basically holds Chilliwack and Abbotsford was a former lake. And, um, it was, it was drained and now it's farmed and people live there. And when some of these dikes have breached, that lake is refilling, uh, with water that is devastating farms and homes and all kinds of things. And, uh, we had a chat and it was sad, but it was wonderful to hear his voice. And afterwards he sent me a photo that he had taken of his work 30 minutes before our conversation where he's driving a speedboat and he's across what looks like a huge lake, bigger than Green Lake. Uh, and he's got eight calves in the boat with them and he's driving them away from a barn that's, that's being flooded. And you've probably seen the pictures of people on jet skis, you know, swimming cows out of, out of, um, farms and stuff like that. Um, it's been devastating and, uh, I think, you know, Pemberton is, is a place that sees a lot of flooding and, uh, it's sort of, um, a relief that it hasn't hit them in the same way, uh, this time. But certainly these, uh, events are getting more regular and they're getting more significant and the challenges we face around fire and flood and that kind of thing related to climate, or are things we're going to have to struggle with. Uh, moving forward, we had the, the budget process started last night with a community meeting and, um, we proposed a 6.7% tax increase, 6.72 is a significant increase in our tax rate number and I think it takes a lot of that reality into consideration as we look to make sure that we are a resilient town. And I think governments of all levels are going to have to really struggle with exactly that moving forward, we spend millions of dollars a year cutting down trees to make sure that we're safe from fire and we're going to need to do more of that kind of thing going forward. So for me, uh, it's been sad. It's been challenging and, um, it's made me really think about where do we go from here, um, as, as communities. So that slide in particular is just so sad. Um, you know, lives are impacted and, and will be for forever, which is so hard.
Cole Stefiuk:Yeah, yeah, no, the, the flooding has been absolutely devastating and I just can't I remember being in the 2003 floods in Squamish. I mean, I was so little that I didn't quite understand the severity of it, and I know that these are a lot worse than those 2003 floods for other communities. And I, I just remember the panic on my family and like one of my, you know, my grandparent's house was underwater underwater the whole house. Uh, and it's just, it's crazy to think that that can just happen like that, like overnight it happens. It's it's terrifying.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Yeah. So, um, I, I think one of the things we can do, we'll see a lot more truck traffic coming through our community right now because trucks can't go over the Coquihalla and, and, and use other routes. So I hope we as Whistlerites, take the opportunity when we see those people coming through our town and show them a little kindness. It's a, it's a difficult time for those people who have been away from their homes and families for a long time and need to, you know, add 10 hours to their trip to, to get places. So that kindness, that Whistlerites are so known for. I think it would be really important to pass on to people as they come through our town. You heard the man
Cole Stefiuk:Be kind out there,
Mayor Jack Crompton:Dr. Henry's lines. Yeah,
Cole Stefiuk:Absolutely. All right. Well on that somber note, shall we go to, uh, to Cathy and Isobel?
Mayor Jack Crompton:Yeah. You know what? I think that the tone is going to be a joyful, so get ready for some, uh, joyful conversation between Isobel and Councillor Jewett.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:This is Cathy Jewett. I'm here on The Whistler Podcast series with Isobel MacLaurin. Whistler's first artist in residence. So Isobel, nice to see you here. We are in your sun room. You're on your favorite chair that hangs from the ceiling, surrounded by all your bits of whimsy.
Isobel MacLaurin:Tell us the important I say.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Absolutely. Tell us about your house.
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh, I love my house. Years ago when we came here in 1961, we came by the bud and, uh, we were looking for a place to build a cabin because Don was from Ontario and he had a cottage and I from new Brunswick had a camp. So we met the folks at Alta Lake, oh, superb. They were, they were friendly. And of course we looked at London Mountain then, not Whistler. And we decided we're going to come. We're going to build. So we checked the prices and$800 for a lot on Alta Lake.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:My goodness. You can't even rent a bed for a month for$800 now.
Isobel MacLaurin:And dear, that was expensive for us. We were having babies and$800 for a lot. So we checked and we got a leased lot on, out on Alpha Lake and it was owned by the railway. So eventually few years later we bought it. So we lived in a tent when we came up every weekend, a little wee tent. Well, no, it wasn't. They were little kids, but a big tent. And then Don was in Squamish once and going through and he saw these beautiful beams being tossed about, and he bought them all. They were from a 1915 school that was built then. And it was being torn apart in the early sixties and our whole home, our double A frame is going to be the sturdiest. It is the sturdiest cabin in the whole world.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:And I've got to say to the view from your living room is spectacular. How do you love waking up to that every day? Oh God.
Isobel MacLaurin:I'm so glad you asked when I wake up. Oh, the only room in my whole house that has, uh, a curtain is in the bedroom because I like darkness. And when I wake up in the morning, I opened that and I just, oh my God, it's so beautiful. So beautiful. There's the lake. There's the mountain. What more could I ask for?
Councillor Cathy Jewett:It's pretty spectacular, but yet you still had to make it even more beautiful. I feel, I am very fortunate. I am one of the luckiest ones that has seen the largest piece of art you ever did.
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh, you mean my sun deck. Yes. Dear Lord. I have to tell you in my whole life, I've never invited so many men to my bedroom to see my etching. I bet I had about 5, 6, 7 of them. And they took photographs of my deck. Now the deck is 700 square feet, at least. And my wild flowers were six feet and in diameter. You know, it's the same thing. If you're doing a little water color, you just enlarge it. So it was so easy. Everything was in order and have so much fun. However, the next year with four feet of snow, we would shovel, shuffle the deck and would come beautiful. snow would pink and green and blue in it.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Some orange for the tiger lilies. Yes, of course.
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh God. It was just hilarious. No, I was very sad, but it was a wonderful piece of art, but no, the largest one I did was in St. John New Brunswick, which gave me the money to come out west. It was for the Shriners, it was 30 feet.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Yes. 30 feet.
Isobel MacLaurin:It was 30 feet by nine feet. And it was, uh, a view of their subject matter. And not just think I had a climb up a ladder to see if it was properly done. And then at times, God, I was young and foolish in those days. Anyway, that was the largest I did. And I've done. I've done murals all over the world.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Well, yes. Um, you and Don traveled the world, um, because, uh, of road with Rotary, uh, also perhaps, and I should explain that, uh, Don is Don MacLaurin. Um, your husband, who's no longer with us, um, who left a big mark here with our community forest. The MacLaurin Crossing is named after him. And he was, uh, an awesome dancer as well. Uh, as well as a Rotarian. And I know he taught me a lot about natural history. Um, so you traveled the world and you brought back a lot of art that you created when you were on those travels.
Isobel MacLaurin:But mostly I did murals of, okay. Don worked at BCIT and, uh, he had a whole year to go to Fiji and oh my Lord, I can't even talk right now. I'm so excited. God loved me.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:I should look over on your wall here, where you have a huge map of the world and you have pins in every single place that you've been. There's a lot of pins there.
Isobel MacLaurin:Well, he was teaching listen to this distance education by satellite in 1983, we went on a years around the world two months in Fiji, four months in New Zealand, four months in Australia, and then around. And I did a three murals at the University of Fiji because the artist teaching there said Isobel, when the people come to learn at night, they want to copy English work and European work where we live in a beautiful place. So what I did, I got several of their wild flowers and I did three murals in the art room, six feet by six feet, one huge flower in each. And I'll tell you, I was written up in the Fiji Times a whole page.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:I feel fortunate to be in your company.
Isobel MacLaurin:It was great. And then see, Don was staying at the universities and I too. So I paid for my living by doing murals at the universities. So I am down in New Zealand. I became an international artist at their university and I sent many watercolors back and they sold them, but it got to be too much. So I didn't bother, but great friendships. Wait until I tell you one fun thing. We were in, uh, Singapore and I was doing a sketch of, um, a temple beautiful temple. And Don was standing there with an umbrella over my head. So I wouldn't get the sun in my eyes. And a voice said, look, it's the MacLarins. It was Chuck Laylock. And it was the first time air Canada flew into, uh, that country. Wasn't that
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Neat? That's very neat. And, you know, check is one of the people that we've lost in the last year. So it's great to hear a story about him. Um, so Isobel, what about, um, in Canada? So you went, did you go to art school in New Brunswick? Yeah.
Isobel MacLaurin:Yes. Three years of art and I had a great, uh, artists to Jack Humphrey, Miller Britain, and Fred Ross, and they're notable. Anyway, I learned everything three years. And out of that, out of the three years, I was a window decorator. We're called window dressers. Right. And I did that all over the world. And, uh, well, um, my world back east and fashion drawings now in those days, they didn't have computers or anything. And I would go to different stores. They would ask me for$10, imagine$10 spent the whole day doing a drawing of a fashion model and putting the outfit on her, with the hat, the gloves, the shoes, the long dress past the knees. Anyway. So when I came out west, I did the same thing. Oh, one important part of my life, Vancouver Little Theater. When I came out west, I stayed at the YW where all nice girls went in the fifties.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:I stayed at the YW when I got out here
Isobel MacLaurin:Wasn't that a hoot? Oh yeah. Oh, it was so marvelous. Anyway, I did the backstage drawings and then I played in it also. So theater was part of my life, even in St. John New Brunswick, well,
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Fashion too, because I know that you love to dress to the nines. And what at your 90th, birthday party, you wore an outfit that, how old was it? When did you get it made for yourself? Oh,
Isobel MacLaurin:It was my first suit I had made in 1956. So it's about 65 years old.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Yeah, easy. I was born the next year. I just think most of the people with whom I associate weren't even born then, and I say most of them, Lord, and I don't know where the time went and I was always busy and happy. Well, um, so you met Don dancing and he swept you off your feet and you started a family.
Isobel MacLaurin:We married first. Oh yeah,
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Yeah. Right. Swept you off your feet. Got married and then started a family. And, and now you have four kids, you had four kids together.
Isobel MacLaurin:I had four when the eldest was five and a half.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Yeah. Um, well, you know, you get it all out of the way, right? Exactly.
Isobel MacLaurin:Well, oh no, this is funny. You laugh at this. Um, I live with my girlfriends: nurse, photographer, school teacher and myself as an artist. So we never bored one another. We went skiing every weekend and we had a very good life. So none of us thought of marriage, we just kind of, not at all. Anyway. So Don was 29 years old and I was 27. And here's how romantic it was, Izzy it's now, or never. I said, okay, Isn't that romantic. Just like that.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:And now, so you've got a four kids. Um, a lot of us know Lee of course, um, Lee Mousy she's, uh, she's been one of the top ski instructors at Whistler Blackcomb also, uh, with Osprey farms, uh, at the farmer's market was a fixture for years. Um, and then now, uh, Sue, Jill and Mark. So they're, they're in various locations in the, in the globe now. Sue is an amazing photographer. Yeah. Yeah. And she's in Tazzie, Tasmania and,
Isobel MacLaurin:Uh, Jill is in Tazzy and they're doing their work too. I'm proud of, oh, and Mark has place now in Nicaragua. Yes. So it's beautiful for me. Uh, and for Don, we'd go away for a couple of months, visit our kids over Christmas and then take off, you know, to go to other places.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:And did a great launching pad. So let's talk about your, um, your art here in Whistler, a bit, uh, with those four kids, the big tent, um, a double A-frame under construction, you had to figure out how to get them all up the hill. So you, did you work out a deal with the Garibaldi Lift Company?
Isobel MacLaurin:Funny, you should say that I did all the paintings. Well, when one says paint is one thing, some flowers, et cetera. No, I did all the signs that said Green Chair, easier. I did about 40 or 50 of them. And that was for our family to ski. And they were all on skis at two years old, so, okay. Isobel be serious. And, uh, so it was the barter system. And then I did the paintings and the round house, the natural things, the flowers see animals, huge paintings. And I think the museum still has some of them.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:There's also, there are paintings on the lift towers going up Blackcomb.
Isobel MacLaurin:As well. Oh yes. They're all over the place. And you know, I did them with love because, well, it's in front of me, you know, I just sat there and sketched as anyone would. And then, oh, I must give a little hint. I use Marine enamel on all of my outdoor paintings and it lasts forever unless
Councillor Cathy Jewett:It's on the dock and has snow on it.
Isobel MacLaurin:Very clever girl. Exactly. Oh yeah. Oh dear. Yeah, there are little hints. Oh. And something else. That's very important. When traveling, wherever we went, I brought my sketchpad, watercolors and brushes. And, but people around the world appreciate artists. Especially if they're sitting there sketching something that they live in and I love to paint. Wherever I went, I would sketch Don would go to a Rotary meeting in Rome and I'd sit outside and sketch. And the people would all come and we'd chat, even though I didn't do what they were saying.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:We're going to be talking to, uh, Christina Nick on this podcast as well. And she has phenomenal journals and has also taken it all around the world with her. Um, have you met Christina? Oh yeah.
Isobel MacLaurin:I love Christina. Awesome. She started, uh, what was it called? ARTrageous. We'd be in the, excuse me, please would be in the barn over there. Ah, she's grand and advert. Versatile. Good Lord. All I can do is paint, you know,
Councillor Cathy Jewett:And, and paint beautifully. I might add,
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh, something else. I can't type. I am so proud of that. Now when I left high school, I went to three years of art and we are just, didn't have to type. So now I just press a button and Siri does it.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:I'm afraid. I'm the same. And I did take typing lessons. So
Isobel MacLaurin:We were very lucky. Very, very lucky. So,
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Um, you were part of ARTrageous. I was hoping that I would hear you say that I was guessing because there was not a lot of local artists, um, when you first got here, but once our outrageous happened, there was a lot more artists. Uh, Hugh Kearney was part of that. I, I, I believe the Vogler brothers were there. There was, um, Christina Nick, there was Vincent Massey was Chili Thom there at that time. Not yet?
Isobel MacLaurin:Too early. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, Christina's marvelous. My goodness. And she has a fun sense of humor too. She does.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Yes, indeed. As do you, um, so some of the, uh, art that you did around here and you talk about the local flora and fauna, I've done a lot of that kind of, uh, nature interpretation. And we learn a lot looking at your paintings as well.
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh yes. I want to share the beauty that I see now years ago when I first started doing art up here, an agent said, Isobel, why don't you concentrate on bears on something or birds? I said, no, I love to work in every medium. I've done portraits. Oh, one of my favorites was, uh, oh, I was going to say Emily Carr. What's our
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Oh,
Isobel MacLaurin:Myrtle Philip. Myrtle, not Emily, no Myrtle. She came
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Later. Yeah.
Isobel MacLaurin:I did a portrait of her while she posed, however we had given her, uh, we had given her a glass of wine and, uh, that painting was in a hotel. We wanted the school to use it, but they wouldn't take it because she's holding a glass of wine. But it's, it's, uh, it was in crayon.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:I'm wondering if that was, cause there was a restaurant called Myrtle's at um, no,
Isobel MacLaurin:No, they had, oh, I, oh, I did a lot of cards, menu covers and the Chateau I did their murals and, and in those days they had beautiful covers with flowers, my flowers on it for the Wild Flower Cafe. And uh, oh yes, I've done a lot of, uh, work for people. Just forget about it. Cause I'm happy having done it. You know,
Councillor Cathy Jewett:I was lucky enough also to be at, uh, maybe it was your last, uh, your most recent show, I should say your most recent show. Um, at Arts Whistler at the Maury Young Arts Centre and, uh, of course on our way in, um, we were greeted by a rather unusual piece of art. Could you tell us about that?
Isobel MacLaurin:Well, years ago, Don and I were very sensible. We got little dizzy on our old age. Anyway. We said, why don't we buy our coffins now. He was a, a little hesitant, but then he went along with it. So we bought them for$500 each instead of 50 grand. And I painted wild flowers on mine and Don had his with his MGTD 1951 on his anyway, God love me, was buried in his coffin with a sign that said, yes, I can take it with me. So, uh, when I had my art show, I had my coffin up front and I'm sure a lot of the people working there were going to play around with it, but there was a sign that said"don't touch it". Yes. So anyway, everything is organized
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Well, awesome. But that was also, I wanted to talk about that show. I bought one of your paintings there, a bunch of berries, um, and quite a few of your pieces of art, uh, flew off the walls. Um, because it was just such a, a range of your work, everything from, was it a Thai lady that you?
Isobel MacLaurin:That was my favorite of all painting. Cause I've done. It started Don and I were in Thailand in 1983 and before tourism began and we were just smiles and smiles. It was lovely. And the way we were taken away up into the wilds in Chiang Mai and it wasn't a tourist town then, and there was this delightful lady and I was introduced to, and she let me do many sketches and photographs. And that's what I did sketches first because you can't have a lady sitting there for days. And what I did, I started with the water color of her head going down into black and white, um, sketching. And to me, I, okay. I love of all the paintings. I love black and white sketching. When one can paint in black and white one can do anything, throw a bunch of color on something. Ooh, isn't that gorgeous. But when you do it and, uh, Albert Durer favorite artist of all time, the way he sketches his praying hands is just so suburb. I just, I just love his work. So when I see a black and white sketches, I know that person can do anything and work in any medium,
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Uh, right now, uh, we've got some snow outside. Um, have you got your ski sharpened and waxed?
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh, wait, light tell you because I'm blind in my left eye, I find it very difficult to ski in the winter because you have to wear the big goggles. And uh, so I, at ninety had become a fair-weather skier. So last may or April, I guess it was Lee made a date. You had to make an appointment then. And I was going up my first day and I had my skis, everything ready, boots, fancy dancy, one piece suit suit that I still wear. And, uh, the mountain closed on the very day I was going skiing. So that's the first time in my married life, except for pregnancy, that I haven't skied.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Well, I hope that we can fix that this year.
Isobel MacLaurin:I actually went already and I had to pay, uh, for a new ski pass, but I'll get into Vail.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Whistler Blackcomb. Yes. Um, all right, well, that's something to look forward to and I hope I see you up on the hill. Is there any thoughts that you'd like to finish with?
Isobel MacLaurin:Yes. Yes. Um, for years over 40 years, I belong to the Federation of Canadian Artists. And that was so important as a young artist to belong to that marvelous group.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:That's so great to hear that you've got a million stories. I know
Isobel MacLaurin:I hadn't even told you half of them. Oh Lord. No, I just I'm so happy with my life, my, my art life, but I was so silly when I was young. I was so excited to sell paintings when I was young that I wouldn't even take the name of the person. Now, everything is electronified. They know the birth of the person about and everything. So I was just happy. And now I will get the odd photograph of my painting with someone emailing me one time. I said, I don't remember doing that. Painting is your name, Isobel MacLaurin. I said, yes, you did it. But I was just, I was just happy that they bought by paintings.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Well, that means that they loved them too.
Isobel MacLaurin:Yeah, they did. You know, they, they have come back to me and I've never been a oh on my teacher. I have to tell you about this. I've taught many times, both in Australia and here. And uh, one time I had Merrill Lynch people all summer long. I think they were riding high. It was 2002 or something. And I had them every day for two hours. I'd give one hour of sketching and one hour of water color with the new piece of paper and light, et cetera. And one time, oh, I was working on by sketch. And I said, I want you all to watch me. Don't do any work. So I'm sketching. And I hear scrape scrape and I turned around, was a man. I slapped his hand. I said, I told you not to do that. There was abject silence in the room. He put his head up and he said, sorry Ma'am. He was the CEO of some company and everybody breathed a sigh of relief. But what I mean is I would teach everyone as if they were in kindergarten. We went right back to the basics of black and white, no fancy dancy, this, that, and the other thing, you're going to pay attention to me and you're going to do it. And they did. Now. One of the exercises was, uh, turned around my art show Mart. Art studio has a beautiful view of Whistler Mountain. And I would say, what is the, what is the size of that design? What would you call it? And they tended to flee. One would say a triangle. I'd say, yes, you've got it. So we'd work from a triangle of the mountain, putting in rocks and everything. And I never had a sour puss in all of my years of teaching. And I've had everybody and I never asked who were what they are. What have you done in the past? You're all kindergartners. And then that's two hours. I let them loose upstairs. Why I'm at their a watercolor. And one day a lady was going out to the solarium door and she said, Isobel. If you're ever in Sri Lanka, you will stay at my house. I am a member of parliament and I treat her like a kindergartener. But it, it, it brought me joy.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Absolutely. Now you and Don were citizens of the year, one year. Is that right? Yeah. Yeah. Tell me about that. What, what were they recognizing you for?
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh, God knows. Anyway. Oh, mostly Don and stuff I had done for the kids and you know, the children's festival. Oh,
Councillor Cathy Jewett:The Children's Art Festival. That was a phenomenal event when that first started. I mean, it still is a phenomenal event, but it's so much bigger, but it was so great, uh, for the local, oh yes.
Isobel MacLaurin:Folks here and also at the Chamber of Commerce, wanted a painting. They would come to me. And now that I'm older and more, hopefully more sensible. I should have put that on my pay pay. What is it called? Taxes. Oh, I never did just, oh, take it. Thank you. So all those things added up, but it was so funny because in the old days, every, everyone went to the Chamber of Commerce, dinner dance. I mean everybody. And another thing we didn't know who was going to win in anything, they were, it was all quiet and they'd be three people chosen, but we wouldn't know it because I think it was better than the old days. Anyway. So Sonia McCarthy said, and the winners are Isobel and Don MacClarin. I was wearing the most ghastly suit. It was pure gold, pure pants and pure top. And I'm climbing up on the stage. Someone took a photograph and all you see as the round derriere of gold, it was ghastly, but I'm sure you looked fabulous. And so did Don too.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:And I hope you danced the night away.
Isobel MacLaurin:Oh, of course. Oh, that's, you know, Don danced. We were at the, at the Chateau, uh, the Chateau put out a beautiful party for the locals. Every November, December, and Don was carrying, this is a month before he died. He was carrying his canister and, uh, for breathing and we're sitting down, I'm still dressed to the nines and he has his monkey suit on. And, uh, Don whispered to me, Izzy. I can dance to that. So we got up and everybody's clapping quietly, you know, oh my God, you'll never believe this. So we did one round. I received a tap on the shoulder by a buxom, big blonde, wearing a red dress. And I sat down. It was hilarious. People are saying who's that she was a gorgeous blonde lady because when Don and I would play tennis at our courts, then we'd go to the store. And she was one of the workers. And she'd say, someday, I'm going to dance with you. Don MacLaurin. She chose the most fantastic time to dance. Oh, it was lovely. I have tears in my eyes. No, it was, it was just so sweet. And no two months later he died, but that was lovely. And every night when I go to bed, I pull the covers over and I say, good night Don. And in the winter, I say, you're warmer than I am.
Councillor Cathy Jewett:Aren't you a little trickster. Oh dear. Well, he, you never know. He could be, uh, uh, up there laughing down at us or with us.
Isobel MacLaurin:Whatever
Mayor Jack Crompton:So that was a, that was a joy to listen to. Yeah. And you
Cole Stefiuk:Know what I got to say? I think, I think Councillor Jewett's coming for your job, Jack.
Mayor Jack Crompton:Probably she, uh, she, I think could be a podcast host to be sure I'm excited about her follow-up podcast too. I think this, this, uh, Jewett series is going to be pretty exciting. I agree. I
Cole Stefiuk:Agree. Do you know when the next one's coming?
Mayor Jack Crompton:Soon, soon, the movies don't give a date. They say coming soon. So that's what we'll go with coming soon. Okay.
Cole Stefiuk:I like you got to do it in your best movie trailer,
Mayor Jack Crompton:Voice, the Jewett episodes coming soon.
Cole Stefiuk:Nailed it. You got your job back.
Mayor Jack Crompton:All right. Well, we're grateful that you joined us for The Whistler Podcast. We look forward to the next one. He's Cole, I'm Jack. This was The Whistler Podcast brought to you by the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Mountain FM.