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Regina Ziuraitis: Passionate about her art By DIANE HART Special to the Beaver It‘s a lucky thing that Regina Ziuraitis didn‘t follow her family‘s plans for heading to agricultural colâ€" lege before taking over the family farm in her native Lithuania. Had she become a farmer instead of a painter, the youthful, talented painter and her husband, John, wouldn‘t have had the opportunity to experience firstâ€"hand all the delights of nature as they hike miles through mountains. On one single day, the 66â€"yearâ€"old painter hiked 34 kilometres through the Canadian Rockies. At times, managing somehow to balance preâ€" cipitously on one foot on a steep incline, she makes a quick sketch before heading into the studio to put it all on canvas. The local artist was encouraged to start painting by an artist friend 35 years ago before she entered the Ontario College of Art. Her work is on view at the McLarenâ€"Barnes Gallery until Dec. 3rd. Her paintings in the exhibit include recent ones of the Canadian Rockies, as well as, other areas in the THE PROFESSIONAL (R) May Offend Some (Dolby Stereo) Evgs. 7:35 9:45. Sat. Sun Mat. 2:30. THE PAGEMASTER (PG) Frightening Scenes (Dolby Stereo) Evgs. 7:20 9:00. Sat. Sun Mat. 2:00. MIRACLE ON 34TH ST. (F) (Dolby Stereo) Evas. 7:15 9:35. Sat. Sun. Mat. 2:15. | YOoU L BELIEVE" Maritimes. All point to her enduring fascination with nature. Clearly, Ziuraitis is passionate about her art â€" and she is not at all reticent about speaking about all kinds of art and artists â€" that takes her from one end of the country to the other, immersing her in all the beauty of the Canadian landscape. She is eloquent about how she feels in the midst of what she calls the majesty of the mountains. "I think even if you didn‘t believe in God, you‘d begin to." Standing on a trail and just gazing at the scenery and enjoying the quiet is almost indescribable, she says. "When you stand there with the wind, maybe the rain, the clouds, the peaks â€" it is just wonderful, says Ziuraitis. "You come back all sweating and out of breath. But think of how joyful it all is," she adds. She transforms her own exciteâ€" ment of nature onto the canvas, leanâ€" ing towards softer, more luminous colors. "It‘s like clothes, really," she says, with a laugh. "Some people like bright, harsh colors, but I like softer ones. And that‘s how I paint." â€" Don Stotter ENTERTAINMENT TIMEâ€"OUT On the invitation to her show, Ziuraitis speaks of the reasons why she packs along her sketchbook with her hiking gear. "...The awesome views make one feel so small, often alone in the face of creation. By leaving the roads, one hikes through forests, alpine meadâ€" ows, all the way beyond the tree line, ending among the mountain peaks. Where else may one experience the hot summer sun, rain, and snow â€" sometimes all in the same day â€" or see the moods of the mountains playâ€" Regina Ziuraitis with one of her most recent paintings from trips west and east of Ontario, which will hang in McLaren Barnes Gallery until Dec. 3rd. (Photo by Peter McCusker) ing hide and seek with the clouds? she writes. But many years ago, she almost became a farmer. "I was supposed to take over the family farm, but then the war came, and we ended up in Canada," she explains. She recalls her own enjoyment in some of the art museums in Munich that were not bombed, and still remembers the first time she gazed at a Picasso. Her grandfather was a wellâ€" known artist in Lithuania, but she says she had never considered folâ€" lowing in his footsteps. And yet, atter 35 years of putting paint on canvas, she cannot imagine heading off on a trip without her sketchbook and penâ€" cil. But, recognizing the need to take a break, she tends to spend a lot of time walking along the sea down ‘East‘ and deliberately forgets to take a pencil. One day, however, a group of peoâ€" ple riding horses in the water caught her painter‘s eye, and she was regretâ€" ting the impulse that caused her to leave her pencil behind. "But John knows me well and had brought along another pencil, so I could sketch it," she says, smiling as her husband begins to nod and tease her about her singleâ€"mindedness when it comes to painting. He is her most diligent supporter, both on the trail and off. "She works very hard every day," he points out. After a daily morning walk together, she sits down in front of her canvas and works until late afterâ€" noon. "After four o‘clock, I am no good. I am exhausted," she says. She and her husband also enjoy tramping about in art galleries lookâ€" ing at the work of other artists. "We like it all," she says. "We enjoy art." But John, leaning forward with a twinkle in his eye, says he thinks some of the contemporary work on view at the Art Gallery of Ontario is questionable. "I think my woodpile is better than theirs!" Ziuraitis laughs, and then gently chides him about the fact someone else may think the woodpile is a wonderful piece of art. "Who knows, right? It may be that someone else is moved by it. Everyone is different about art," she says, simply. The gallery is located at 133 Reynolds Street. Be in tune with the OSO Call 844â€"7984 to receive a copy of our 1994â€"95 Seasons Brochure. The