Winterbourne artist chronicled love of region
Robert (Bob) Gaede of Winterbourne Born: May 31, 1926, in Conestogo Died: Oct. 7, 2017, of multiple myeloma
Artist Bob Gaede used his art to capture precious moments from his long life and the history of his beloved Conestogo and Winterbourne.
There are at least 25 binders filled with stories, sketches, old photographs, all local history catalogued with such incredible detail that each binder looks like the work of an experienced archivist.
In his art, much of it architectural, Bob etched and painted old homes, churches, mills and blacksmith shops but he also painted expressive landscapes, some of them light and airy watercolours, others bold and thickly layered oils.
“He always had different phases he’d go through,” said daughter, Jennifer Snider. “He was interested in history and landmarks. He had a different way of looking at things.”
Bob was one of only two children born in Canada to a Mennonite family that had fled persecution in Russia at the turn of the last century. His five other siblings were all born in Russia.
Did being the child of immigrant parents forced to flee their homeland have an impact on Bob? Jennifer thinks so.
“I think he became very spiritual as he got older,” said Jennifer. “I think he had a good moral code, the Mennonites were responsible for that.”
When the Gaede family first arrived from Russia, they ended up living in a converted blacksmith shop in Conestogo for a time. The shop is now a B&B and likely it was far less luxurious in the early 1920s.
From the time he was a kid, Bob showed artistic talent and it was his elementary school teacher who suggested he enter a competition, which he easily won. That was the spark, the impetus that would became his foundation. No matter what else he was doing, art was always more important.
Bob graduated from the Ontario College of Art and though he would never make a full-time living as an artist, he was nevertheless successful, selling several works as well as accepting commissions, including a lion sculpture and even advertising signs.
Bob’s career aspirations took a slight deviation after he met Audrey Burnett when they played on opposing teams at baseball games, Winterbourne vs. Conestogo. They married in 1951, had three children: Deb, Jennifer and Rod, starting their married life living with family and from there, they just kept moving, at least seven places all around Winterbourne until Audrey finally purchased an empty lot for $100.
Bob built his family a home where he and Audrey raised their kids. Audrey died last year and though he missed his wife, Bob was not one to sit around moping. He always had a rich life, filled with activity, much of which was centred in the spacious art studio behind the house where he turned
out countless paintings, greeting cards and sketches as well as cartoons.
Bob loved to cartoon, often capturing memorable or funny moments from daily life, particularly during the years he worked at Canada Barrel and Kegs in Waterloo.
“If something happened during the day, Bob would have a cartoon the next day,” said Jennifer.
He also drew some rather racy cartoons which seemed antithetical to the way this kind, gentlemanly artist lived all other aspects of his life.
“He lived a good, clean life,” added Jennifer. “Dad was a good guy.”
Bob loved comic books and subscribed to several which of course he shared with his three children. Deb thinks their father was mostly interested in the drawings, the skill of the cartoonist more than the story.
Bob’s skill as an artist is shared within his family. Audrey was a sketch artist who often used Mennonites and animals as her subject matter. Deb is also a skilled artist and Bob’s nephew, Lance Russwurm, is a highly accomplished and recognized Canadian artist.
Though Bob was prolific as a painter, sometimes he had problems parting with his work.
“He didn’t like to sell too many, he thought of them as his kids,” said Deb, adding when her father did decide to sell a painting or etching, there were always eager customers.
“Our neighbour has nine, he kept coming back for more,” she said. And copies of his painting of St. Matthews Lutheran in Conestogo were scooped up by just about every parishioner, added Jennifer.
Deb said their father was still working in his studio up until a few months before he died. “Dad’s passion was for his art,” said Jennifer. “He’d work in the factory during the day, come home and do work around the house then he spent his time doing art.”