Sibil Stephanie Simmons a primarily acrylic paint artist is being featured this month at the Strathmore Municipal Library art gallery. Visitors to the library can view and purchase her artwork, as well they will have a chance to see the artist at work during a meet and greet event hosted this month. 

Simmons was born in Nova Scotia in 1959. She resided there until she was 18, after which time she moved to Alberta. 

We sat down with the completely self-taught artist who resides in the Strathmore region. 

“I only painted three pictures,” she said, “One was a school project, the other one was leftover paint and then I went to a lesson somewhere.” After that Simmons hadn't picked up a painter's brush until about a year ago.

“If you want to paint something you keep working on it until you get it,” she said of the progression of her work as she taught herself how to paint. 

“I'm hoping that my show does well because I'd like to go to the next step of acrylic and if I want to make something look smooth like an oil painting then I'll mix it with a medium gloss and it looks like oil.” 

Simmons has a harrowing story of how she got to where she is today. Once a truck driver, she was severely injured and required hospitalization. She suffered from internal bleeding, recovered, and then lost her job. From there that led to further hard times losing her home. 

At the same time, she was also the victim of identity theft. She lived in her truck with her dog as her companion for over a year and a half. 

“I have met some fantastic people along the way, so my art is mixed because I paint a picture to get stronger," she said.

She describes one of her paintings, "I painted a picture of the homeless. Me and Bowser are on the right and we were going through garbage cans and it was - 39 C and I've seen the light and I went around the corner. It was in Calgary off of 17th Ave and these homeless people fed me and scraped together $19 and change, and me and my dog survived” she said. 

"My paintings are pieces of what I went through to get where I'm at now,” she said. 

Simmons said she still doesn’t quite believe people when they tell her she has a real talent as an artist. 

“I love to paint. I lived to paint. It just releases your soul and makes you feel fantastic like it just makes you want to get up every day and do your best,” she said. 

Learn about Simmons works at the library here www.strathmorelibrary.ca

 

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