Kerry Vickar Centre

Life of an Artist


OLENA JEANETTE SHERVEN-SMITH


OLENA JEANETTE SHERVEN-SMITH


Born in 1889 at Ridgeway, Iowa, to Norwegian pioneers, the fifth daughter of seven with a younger brother and four sisters, Olena came to a homestead 30 miles north of Watson, SK in 1911. Olena’s interest in sketching animals at a young age led to her being enrolled in a Lutheran college in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1907, where she learned oil painting ("Night Scene of Schooner”). She had previously taken a mail course doing a pen & ink and perspective exercise. Her father encouraged further schooling, so she went to the Winnipeg School of Art during 1914-15 where pencil studies of the human form were taught using plaster models (Julius Caesar, Laughing Boy, Nude Torso). Later she went there for a brief time when Lemoine Fitzgerald was Head in 1938 (Fitzgerald became an invited member of the Group of Seven).
 OLENA JEANETTE SHERVEN-SMITH

Boarding with her sister on the U of S campus, she was able to get lessons from Gus Kenderdine who had been appointed first art instructor (oil copies). Her first showing was held in Saskatoon. She exhibited oils "Winter” and "Autumn”, scenes from the farm. She attended Emma Lake summer school for three seasons. Instructors were Kenneth Lougheed, Arthur McCay, Rita Cowley, Mr. Wickenden, and Winona Mulcaster.  

In later winters at Edinburgh, Texas, she enjoyed doing street scenes in Mexico and some portraits in pencil. Retiring to Melfort, she continued to sketch, making notes on colors for future painting. 
 

 
Virtual Collection


Calamari Ink & Charcoal Drawings
Calamari Ink 1904
Calamari Ink
Charcoal Elderly Woman, 1915
Charcoal Elderly Woman, 1915
Charcoal Emma with sheep Ridgeway, Iowa 1907
Charcoal Emma with sheep Ridgeway, Iowa 1907
Charcoal Paint Palette 1907
Charcoal Paint Palette 1907
CharcoalStill Life
Charcoal Still Life
CharcoalThe Model 1960
Charcoal The Model 1960
Oils
Oil Annie Stonestand 1949
Oil Annie Stonestand 1949
Oil Barnyard in Winter 1935
Oil Barnyard in Winter 1935
Oil Blue Geometric
Oil Blue Geometric
Oil Calf in Barn 1939
Oil Calf in Barn 1939
Oil Cribbage 1952
Oil Cribbage 1952
Oil Emma Lake Cabin - Art School 1953
Oil Emma Lake Cabin - Art School 1953
Oil Emma Lake 1952
Oil Emma Lake 1952
Oil Fall Scene 1939
Oil Fall Scene 1939
Oil Farm Lane in Winter 1934
Oil Farm Lane in Winter 1934
Oil Geometric
Oil Geometric
Oil Hereford Bull 1940
Oil Hereford Bull 1940
Oil Horses at Trough 1940
Oil Horses at Trough 1940
Oil Horses Watering at Trough 1942
Oil Horses Watering at Trough 1942
Oil Joe Munroe 1952
Oil Joe Munroe 1952
Oil Kenderdine 1 1927
Oil Kenderdine 1 1927
Oil Kenderdine 2 1927
Oil Kenderdine 2 1927
Oil Kite Flying
Oil Kite Flying
Oil Mill 1954
Oil Mill 1954
Oil Murray Point
Oil Murray Point
Oil Near Brydon's in BC
Oil Near Brydon's in BC
Oil Old Barn
Oil Old Barn
Oil Pansies 1963
Oil Pansies 1963
Oil Partridges
Oil Partridges
Oil Perch
Oil Perch
Oil Ruby 1907
Oil Ruby 1907
Oil Saddle Horse
Oil Saddle Horse
Oil Schooner Red Wing, Minnesota 1907
Oil Schooner Red Wing, Minnesota 1907
Oil Smith Creek
Oil Smith Creek
Oil Spring Scene
Oil Spring Scene
Oil Stacking Oats 1935
Oil Stacking Oats 1935
Oil Still Life 1961
Oil Still Life 1961
Oil Still Life
Oil Still Life
Oil Survey Boots 1966
Oil Survey Boots 1966
Oil Tom and Brag 1933
Oil Tom and Brag 1933
Oil Turkey River, Iowa 1907
Oil Turkey River, Iowa 1907
Oil Wood Shed 1954
Oil Wood Shed 1954
Pencil Sketches
Pencil Anatomy 1939
Pencil Anatomy 1939
Pencil Barn and Shed 1944
Pencil Barn and Shed 1944
Pencil Bison
Pencil Bison
Pencil Foot Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Foot Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Girl with Horses 1917
Pencil Girl with Horses 1917
Pencil Hand with Apple Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Hand with Apple Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Hand Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Hand Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Horses Feeding (on cardboard) 1904
Pencil Horses Feeding (on cardboard) 1904
Pencil Horses (on cardboard) 1904
Pencil Horses (on cardboard) 1904
Pencil Julius Caesar Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Julius Caesar Winnipeg School of Art 1915
Pencil Laughing Boy 1914
Pencil Laughing Boy 1914
Pencil Margaret 1929
Pencil Margaret 1929
Pencil Melfort Lane 1962
Pencil Melfort Lane 1962
Pencil Mexican Lady 1960
Pencil Mexican Lady 1960
Pencil Miss Mattie 1957
Pencil Miss Mattie 1957
Pencil Nude 1938
Pencil Nude 1938
Pencil Nude 1939
Pencil Nude 1939
Pencil Perspective Drawing 1904
Pencil Perspective Drawing 1904
Pencil Philosopher 1915
Pencil Philosopher 1915
Pencil Pioneer Woods Home
Pencil Pioneer Woods Home
Pencil Revellers Winnipeg School of Art 1938
Pencil Revellers Winnipeg School of Art 1938
Pencil Rosie
Pencil Rosie
Pencil Rutherford Smith 1939
Pencil Rutherford Smith 1939
Pencil Shirley Brydon 1928
Pencil Shirley Brydon 1928
Pencil Spike 1904
Pencil Spike 1904
Pencil Spring Thaw 1938
Pencil Spring Thaw 1938
Pencil Texan 1960
Pencil Texan 1960
Pencil Tom's Cabin 1939
Pencil Tom's Cabin 1939
Pencil Torso Nude 1938
Pencil Torso Nude 1938
Pencil Trees of Saskatchewan
Pencil Trees of Saskatchewan
Pencil Woman
Pencil Woman
Pencil Young Man from Life 1945
Pencil Young Man from Life 1945
Pencil Young Woman 1915
Pencil Young Woman 1915
Watercolors
Watercolor Bitter Sweets from Iowa 1966
Watercolor Bitter Sweets from Iowa 1966
Watercolor Bluebells 1961
Watercolor Bluebells 1961
Watercolor Donkey Cart 1960
Watercolor Donkey Cart 1960
Watercolor Edinburgh, Mexico 1959
Watercolor Edinburgh, Mexico 1959
Watercolor Elevator
Watercolor Elevator
Watercolor Gertrude Linde (Lena's Mother)
Watercolor Gertrude Linde (Lena's Mother)
Watercolor Horses 1957
Watercolor Horses 1957
Watercolor Lady Slippers 1961
Watercolor Lady Slippers 1961
Watercolor Lady Slippers 1940
Watercolor Lady Slippers 1940
Watercolor Mexican Family 1960
Watercolor Mexican Family 1960
Watercolor Red Wild Rose 1961
Watercolor Red Wild Rose 1961
Watercolor Still Life 1964
Watercolor Still Life 1964
Watercolor Texas 1962
Watercolor Texas 1962
Watercolor Wild Roses 1961
Watercolor Wild Roses 1961