Albina Felski

1916-1996

Albina Felski was born in 1916 in British Columbia.  Although she began drawing when she was a schoolgirl in Canada, she did not begin painting seriously until after she had been living in Chicago for a number of years.  Most of her paintings were undertaken after her retirement in 1972.  Many of Felski’s paintings were inspired by scenes remembered from her youth in Canada: loggers at work, coal miners, and what she called “Beautiful Animal Scenes” that were based on recollection of photos her brothers took on hunting and fishing trips.  Albina Felski painted with oils on canvas.  Though she had an easel, she worked from her dining room table, with the canvas pressed flat against the tabletop.  She painted with amazing detail, using small brushstrokes to achieve her fine lines.  Her work tended to be large, almost mural size, often at least 4 feet square.  ²