Artist on a train

Rose Litzenberger has been creating art as long as she can remember - sketching pictures and painting murals on the walls of her family's home.

"My mom says that she remembers me laying in front of the old black-and-white television when I was four or five and drawing things from various kids' TV shows," she said. "My dad built a room for me in the basement where I could go to paint or draw, generally so that I wouldn't make a mess upstairs."

In that basement room, Litzenberger's imagination was unleashed. One wall became a mural inspirited by an illustrated version of Black Beauty - the mural stands today in the house where her parents still live.

These days, art continues to punctuate her life. Her husband's office dons a mural of an animated Tarzan from the Disney cartoon, for instance.

And three days a week the University of Alberta staffer can be found in her home studio where she paints for hours on end.

Litzenberger's specialty is vibrant still-lifes that pop off the canvas. "It's not a particular style, I guess, but wherever the mood takes me," said Litzenberger, a web and graphic designer with Facilities and Operations Management.

"I like to layer a lot of different colours, so I may end up with green pears with blue splotches on it. I tend to go with more of a realistic approach than abstract, but I still like doing abstracts sometimes."

Litzenberger is also an avid photographer, specializing in nature photography and portraiture, and graduated from the U of A Faculty of Extension's fine arts certificate program several years ago.

Since then, she's been showcasing her art at venues throughout the city and sells her works from her home. Her latest achievement is an invitation to the VIA Rail Artists on Rails program, where she'll showcase her painting skills on board a Jasper-bound train.

While some visual artists may be shy working in front of a crowd, Litzenberger doesn't bat an eye.

"I've been doing Art Walk for the last four years now, so it gets easier the more you talk to people. And I'll be talking about things I love anyway, which is always easier."

She dispels the romantic idea of the artist able to work only when inspiration hits. For Litzenberger, art is a mix of inspiration and discipline.

And these days discipline is particularly important, as the demand for her work increases.

"I'm trying to prepare for the VIA Rail event and then the Art Walk, and I'm not sure how many I'll have," she said.

Litzenberger will be riding the rails June 21-23, between Edmonton and Jasper, and will be at the Old Strathcona Art Walk July 13, 14, 15. For more information, visit: http://members.shaw.ca/rosemarieL/