Lögberg-Heimskringla - 25.04.2003, Blaðsíða 7

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur, 25 Apríl 2003 • page 7
A Tribute to the Artist and Writer Halldóra Petrína Bjarnason
Árný Hjaltadóttir
WlNNIPEG, MB
Halldóra Petrína Bjarnason
was born August 6th 1880
at Grafton, ND. Her parents
were Halldór Jónsson from
Litlibakki in Hróarstunga,
Norður Múlasýsla, Iceland and
Sigurbjörg Jónsdóttir from
Berunes, Fáskrúðsfjörður,
Iceland. They came to North
America in 1876.
She moved to Winnipeg
with her parents in 1889. There
she went to school. She was the
lirst girl of Icelandic descent to
study fine arts in Winnipeg.
Hólmfríður Daníelson said this
about her in Tímarit (32. árg. p.
112); “She went to Armington
School (of Arts) for over two
years, once a week. Her
teacher thought much of her
abilities and encouraged her to
pursue her study of fine arts,
but lack of money stood in the
way!”
Halldóra spoke four lan-
guages: Icelandic and
Norwegian, which she learned
at home; her sister was married
to a Norwegian. Then she
learned French from a little girl
who was her playmate and
- lived on the next farm to where
she lived in Grafton, ND and
English she learned going to
school in Winnipeg. She
worked for a while at the Gerry
Robinson department store in
the linen department. Because
she spoke French she went all
over the store to serve when
they needed an interpreter for
the women from St. Boniface.
She married Guðmundur
Matthías Bjarnason who was a
painter and an interior decora-
tor in Winnipeg. They had
eight children and a very good
marriage. Their home was
always open to guests and
Halldóra was known for her
hospitality. She was always
encouraging her children to
bring their friends home for a
visit.
Halldóra was very artistic
and, despite her large house-
hold and many duties, she
found time to paint and write.
“My dad would say, ‘Help your
mother with supper.’ We are all
good cooks because mother
painted,” said her daughter
Lára Rósa Morris. She said
that her father “adored” her
mother. “My mother was the
first one to have an electric
stove on the street. If mama
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LÁRA RÓSA MORRIS
Portrait of Halldóra Petrína Bjarnason by her son Thomas
Bjarnason
wanted it, my dad got it for
her,” said Lára and “They
never quarrelled in front of us
kids. I thought when you got
married it was bliss.”
Halldóra painted whenever
she could find time and many
of her paintings decorate the
homes of her children and
friends all over the continent. It
is estimated that she gave away
well over one hundred paint-
ings. She was eighty-five when
she painted her last picture.
Halldóra enjoyed this work
enormously, as well as the
many craft creations she did
over the years to decorate and
beautify her home. “Oh, I still
paint a bit,” says Halldóra, “it
makes one feel young to prac-
tice the arts.” (Tímarit 32. árg.
p. 112).
Halldóra was a very active
member of the Lutheran
Church for over eighty years.
She was the secretary of the
Senior Ladies’ Aid for twenty-
six years. She was very active
in the Good Templar
Organization and her daughter
Lára said she remembers that
when she was a little girl her
mother staged a play at the
Goolie Hall. She painted the
stage props for the play as well.
Halldóra belonged to the club,
Harpa, which gave aid to the
poor. She and other women
made up hampers that were
distributed to those in need.
In 1963 Halldóra and
Guðmundur moved to Betel in
Gimli, and when her husband
died in 1968 she continued to
live at Betel until her death on
April 6th, 1981.
On her lOOth birthday on
August 6th, 1980 her family
and friends gathered at Betel to
celebrate this historical event
with her. She received
telegrams of well wishes from
The Queen of England, The
Prime Minister, The Premier of
Manitoba, The Mayor of
Winnipeg, and from the First
Lutheran Church where she
had been a member since 1889,
the oldest member at the time.
Serving the Community Since 1957
RIVERTON CREDIT UNION LTD.
BOX 428
RIVERTON, MB ROC 2R0
TEL: 204.378.5121
Ron Seimens, GENERAL MANAGER
Lára Moitís said that she
and her mother were invited to
become charter members of the
St. James Art Club when
Halldóra was in her eighties.
She painted mostly landscape,
but also sorne still life and por-
traits.
The renowned artist,
Thomas Bjarnason, who lives
in Port Hope ON, is Halldóra’s
youngest son. There is no
doubt that he inherited his
mother’s artistic ability. Her
daughter, Lára Rósa Morris, is
also an artist who creates
sculptures of pristine beauty.
“My mother taught all of us to
draw and print before we went
to school,” said Lára.
As well as being an artist,
Halldóra was a writer. She
wrote short stories, poetry and
plays in both Icelandic and
English. Most of her work did
not find its way into print. A
few stories were published in
the Lutheran Ladies Aid
Journal, Árdýs. Two short sto-
ries in Icelandic, one called
Friður og ró and the other
Orðsending fuglanna in 1965
(pp. 51-52 & 62-63) and a
short story in English called
March in 1966 (pp. 43-51).
Her daughter Lára Rósa
Morris has some poems her
mother wrote in English,
specifically for her and her
children. She said that it is like-
ly that she also wrote poems
for her other children and
grandchildren. She also said
that Halldóra wrote all her
short stories in both English
and Icelandic. The story Friður
og ró, or Quietude as Halldóra
called it in her English version,
is only one of the many short
stories she wrote in both lan-
guages. The poem, Mothers
Day Cake, was written for Lára
Morris’ daughters.
Mother’s Day Cake
Halldóra Petrína Bjamason
Tomorrow is a special day.
Mother must have a cake.
I would be oh! so sorry
If I didn’t know how to bake.
III cover it with icing
In colors gay and bright
To serve it in modern fashion
In proper candlelight.
Now we come to the kitchen
To collect the things we need.
Your mother won't mind your staying
For such a splendid deed.
Then you can bake another
I will show you how
So we will both be famous
And have to take a bow.
To keep mother out of the kitchen
We’ll clean up and put away
The bowl, the salt and sugar
And set back the recipe tray,
So mother will have it easy
When she comes in again,
To make the family dinner
No confusion will remain.
Shortening, eggs and sugar,
Soda, flour and milk
Put it in the mixer
To make it smooth as silk.
Now we’ll fill the cake tin,
And turn the oven on.
Adjust the timer to tell us
To take it out when done.
Now, how is the icing sugar?
An awful lot we'll need,
A large amount of butter,
And beat it at high speed.
With cream to make it smoother,
And colour to make it gay.
I hope our mothers will like it
I wonder what our dads will say?
Put in a drop of yellow,
Now a dash of lovely green,
The colors are so lovely,
The prettiest I have seen.
Lets add a touch of crimson,
And a little bit of blue.
Ouch! Whatever happened
This dark gray can’t be true?
(one ten-year-old to another)
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