Simple postcards from Holland, saying “greetings” or “love”, signed by Oma en Opa. Some cards were from aunts and uncles or friends of my parents. These cards were usually in black and white. The image was a main street, a farm, a church or some other landmark. I have found these cards glued in a cheap newspaper type album. The back was glued down, which didn’t matter because other then the address, there were very few words. The idea of sending the cards was an old tradition in Holland. My grandmother would send a card to say she was coming for a visit. The person would send a card back to say the time and date was fine.
When we came to Canada, my mother exchanged letters with our relatives. I can recall having to add a little to the end of each letter. Slowly through time I could not write in Dutch and my mother would translate what I said. Then I lost interest, as the teenage years came upon me. I forgot about the postcards. When I saw them again I remembered. I remembered with nostalgia all the people left behind in Europe, when we immigrated to Canada.
The original concepts for the Portrait of Edmonton and Alberta Landscape were the cheap postcards available in the convenience stores. None suited me. And I started to think in terms of postcards for my paintings. I found that the images that appeal to me are not just Edmonton or Alberta but universal. Flying into the mouth of a bridge, shopping at a chain store, or garbage on the ground, are typical of any place. The latest painting of the Pembina River could be any river, and the road paintings could be placed in most of Canada. So my paintings cannot be considered postcards.
This series is symbolic by what is not in it. No pretty sunsets or lovely views over our river valley. There are no experiences of being in this place, not yet. I hope to start work on these themes in the end of next year.
My next project is to paint 1978, my children at the age of three. These two girls were my inspiration and allowed me to photograph them again and again to get the image that I wanted. At the time, I was a full time mother and had no time to do art. But I thought art. By 1980, I was in a small studio space, which I called “Christl’s Art and Other Things”.
Winter is a good time to be in the studio and to paint. I am continuing the Christmas paintings, as well as Flesh, the skin of canvas, the erotic works.


The Bergstrom Block is almost finished! It has been an exciting year and if you were to ask me would I do it again, the answer is a resounding YES. I loved seeing David’s design slowly growing out of the ground. At the same time my sympathy was with Ernie Keller when the summer of 2004 turned so very wet and then it hailed. When we had the trades at the site, they often left not to be seen for two months. The Bergstrom Block was for some a very small project and it was low on the totem pole. I continued my painting and watched from my Gallery window.
Similar to finishing a painting there is a small moment of exhaustion and a depression that can catch me unaware. The ‘high’ of watching the building going up is now the ‘low’ of the completion. The Bergstrom Block is also looking for a main floor tenant. There are 1300 sq. ft. at $20.00 sq. ft. plus the usual disbursements, taxes insurance etc. I do not have any clear idea who would like the space. Gelato and espresso, anyone??????
Thank you for reading this’
Christl Bergstrom