It might seem a rather winding road from being born in Germany in 1943 during the war to becoming a goldsmith to a move to Canada to raise bison and finally ending up in Melville as an artist in retirement, but it is a road travelled by Sieglinde (Linda) Hnye.
The first leg of her journey was not so far.
“I immigrated to Switzerland in 1963 after I had finished my apprenticeship as a goldsmith in Germany which was from 1959 to 1962,” Henye told Yorkton This Week.
Becoming a goldsmith “at that time was a bit unusual for a girl,” she admitted, but it did perhaps show a glimpse of the artist she would one day become.
In Switzerland Henye met her soon to be husband.
“He is Hungarian, left Hungary in 1956 after the revolution and fled to Switzerland where I met him,” she explained.
In her new husband Henye had become married to a man with a dream – a rather unusual dream as it turned out.
“We arrived in Canada 1986 in order to raise bison, my husband’s dream,” said Henye. “We started with 13 bison yearlings and built up the herd to about 40.”
Henye said it was a huge learning curve to become Canadian bison ranchers.
“Yes we had to learn having no farm back ground,” she said. “My husband was a teacher, all we had was a dog and on top of that we had to learn English also, it was a difficult time.”
In fact Henye noted she “wouldn’t do it again,” but it was something her husband already 50 when they started the new life wanted to pursue the dream.
They would raise bison at White Fox, (west of Nipawin) for about 15-years, and then it was back on the road.
“We sold in 2000, and moved to Welwyn, then Jedburgh, then Melville,” said Henye.
Finally Henye, now 78, would find time to pick up a paint brush to let her inner artist out.
“I started painting at age 60, self-taught,” she said.
And then would come to creating mosaics.
“The technique for mosaics I learned by watching a woman doing it,” she explained.
“A lady in Welwyn gave a demonstration how to do it and I was hooked. I made about a 100, some sold and some I donated. A fascinating hobby.”
Looking at the mosaics Henye said she “bought the dishes at the Salvation Army in Yorkton, they were happy to get rid of them.”
The plates were soon in pieces.
“Lots of fun smashing the dishes,” said Henye, explaining when making one “it takes about four days, two days to let the adhesive dry before you can grout it.”
“The bases are concrete stepping stones but my table top base is plywood.”
Now Henye sees art as a hobby to enjoy.
“I paint for fun,” she said. “Occasionally I do pet portraits on commissions, mostly pet owners from the USA.”
Henye recognizes her interest in art connects back to her earliest years.
“Growing up after the war in Germany there were no toys, we made our own,” she said. “I was always creative. I knew already during childhood I had to do something with my hands. I love art. I love reading. I love music -- which I always listen to while painting – classics.”
What she paints come from varied things she sees.
“The inspiration for my paintings I get from magazines or photos on Facebook, there is so much I want to paint and so little time left,” said Henye, not that she plans to put her brushes away just yet, “As long as my eyes cooperate I will paint. I thank the lord for giving me that talent. It sure enriches my life.”
