Zyg Kondzielewski was never interested in painting or photography until he took an art class in Bruno nearly 50 years ago.
A doctor by trade, Kondzielewski said he "caught the bug" all those years ago and hasn't put down a paintbrush or camera since. The decades of work have paid off, as Kondzielewski's work will be on display at the Humboldt and District Museum and Gallery for the next two months as part of the museum's Artist Showcase exhibit.
"We showcase a new artist every two months and we've been doing it now for about 15 years," said Jennifer Hoesgen, the museum's curator. She expects that local artists will soon have their work displayed at the museum's new addition at the Merchants Bank building just across Main Street.
On a sunny Wednesday morning Kondzielewski was setting up his work, putting up between 12 and 15 photographs and paintings. While he got his artistic start on canvas, Kondzielewski has fully embraced the digital revolution in photography. "Pictures are easier and faster," he said with a laugh as he carefully placed each piece on the wall and casually dispensed photography advice: "It's best to take photos during the 'magic hour'; the hour just after sunrise and the hour just before sunset."
It's not too hard to spot Kondzielewski's style; almost all of his photos and paintings at the museum feature prairie scenes, whether it's a sunset over railroad tracks or frozen fields in winter. ("I like taking photos when it's warm, though," he's quick to add.)
There are stories behind each of the photos. Kondzielewski points to one, a panorama of a man standing on his front lawn. There's a farmhouse in the foreground and silver grain bins off in the distance. It all feels very empty and a little sad.
"That's a man who had to sell his farm, a 100-year-old family farm," Kondzielewski said. "He had three daughters and no sons, so there was no one who would keep farming."
As he goes about his business, Kondzielewski is asked which of the pieces is his favourite. "This one," he said, tapping a painting of an old and empty barn that used to be just outside of Saskatoon. "Barn dance, Sat. nights", is written on the side of the barn. It is quintessentially Saskatchewan and typically Kondzielewski. He breaks down the most important factors of the painting in detail-the need for an open door to reveal the scale of the place, the cracks of light through the windows-all while continuing to prepare his display.
It's obvious that Kondzielewski isn't in it for the money. "I sell the odd piece, but not enough to break even," he said. No, it's all for the art and those long (hopefully warm) days taking pictures under a prairie sun.
