WINDSOR, ONT. -- A local watercolour painter is still creating artwork for his customers, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ed Roach is the co-owner of Sissy and Roche in Kingsville, an art gallery that includes a gift shop and cooking classes.
While almost every facet of the business has been closed since COVID-19, Roach continues a tradition he started when he opened up shop.
Painting by the window. “We decided to make to make it Tuesdays and Thursdays,” says Roach. Before closing on March 17, Roach was offering art classes five times a week.
“People will now purposely drop by to see what’s going on in the window,” Roach tells CTV Windsor.
As a graphic designer for 40 years, Roach says he’s been through recessions and downtimes, but never anything like this.
“As bad as that was, it’s nowhere near this," he said. "I’ve never had a business where we got zero in income.”
Roach also suffers from essential tremors and finds watercolour painting has eased those.
“I notice when I paint, my hand doesn’t shake as much," he said. "It really diminishes that.”
Carol Bacci, who just moved to Kingsville from Brampton, says Roach’s artwork captures the beauty of the town.
“He’s very much a Kingsville person. He paints local houses, local scenery,” says Bacci.
Roach hopes his paintings by the window during the pandemic will help attract more people to the creative arts.
“Through the window, they can see step by step of how I’m painting," he said. "I can wrap up a painting in a couple of days and if they’re watching that, they can see this isn’t something that’s going to take them forever.”
