Never mind being honoured with award ceremonies and pewter accolades, the new benchmark of success for musicians, poets, and songwriters in Atlantic Canada is being featured in Kristen Hatt Lewis’s new series of playing cards. Dubbed “The Black Edition,” the deck features 55 painted portraits of the province’s cultural superstars.
“I want to support musicians,” says Lewis, a musician herself. “It’s a tough road and we are stronger together.”
Lewis plays as a member of the accordion-powered duo The Lewinskies, a band known not just for their music, but also their hand-crafted album sleeves. She also happens to be a self-taught artists who has been working with paint since she was in her teens.
Among other artist projects Lewis has painted murals, and for years organized art group experiences and special events with the Mersey Arts Society, but now she says she’s focusing more on her own development as an artist, both visually and musically.
Lewis’s deck of musical cards combines both of her passions and manages to interview her community.
“My main idea I am trying to get across is my love,” says Lewis. “I think it is a story that we all share, it’s a story of our local music scene. It’s treasured by some. There are many stories weaving together, It will take many years to paint this.
“I am certainly attached to the subject. I am sentimental about music and the beauty of songwriting. From a painting perspective the subject was extremely challenging, I tried to tone down the instruments and feature the person.”
Among the portraits painted, while all held a place of importance, some held personal significance for Lewis. While keeping tight lipped on who is being featured in the deck (and which cards they represent), Lewis says we’ll see Terra Spencer, Norma MacDonald and Gordie Roach.
“I had my fun creating each painting. Each one was inspired. I can’t paint without inspiration. I especially had fun with Terra Spencer’s portrait. Norma MacDonald’s was a dream to paint. Some of the paintings are traditional portraits and others are more creative.
Country musician Gordie Roach, who passed away two years ago, is taking centre stage in the deck.
“[He was] good friend of many musicians,” says Lewis. “Gordie’s story was a sad one. He was a fixture in the Halifax music scene in the 70s to 2000s. He was crippled by arthritis but kept playing guitar as long as he could. He played on. I think everyday was probably challenging for Gordie because he had disabilities.”
For Lewis, the deck becomes a way of honouring these musicians, immortalizing their place in our culture, and preserving their stories.
Lewis is looking at the possibility of creating a deck of cards for each Maritime province. The Black Edition is just the first of many for Nova Scotia. There’s also a second Blue Edition played for release in Winter 2020.
Lewis is hoping to make the decks available through local music vendors, but is currently still in talks. In the meantime, people are able to order them directly from Lewis, though she mentions there’s a very limited handmade edition of 15 decks available for the first run.
If you’re looking to see The Black Edition in person, Lewis will be officially launching the project at a group art show at Petite Reviere Vinyard opening July 12th and running until the end of the month. The exhibit also featuring art from Fran Whitelaw, Beth Lenco, and Brenda Knapp, along with a musical performance from The Lewinskies.
“This is an ongoing project. I’ll do this ’til I die. I will happily do these paintings showing our past and our present.”