Troy Shantz
The picturesque views of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River so well known by local residents recently snagged the attention of an internationally known artist and TV host.
The television series “Painting & Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer” stopped in Point Edward this month to film an episode at the apartment of resident Georgina Jones.
“He does a lot of landscapes. I knew he’d love the scene,” said Jones, 90, whose balcony overlooks the Sarnia Yacht Club.
A watercolour artist herself, Jones learned of the Bansemers online and purchased one of their instructional painting videos. After showing them one of her own paintings, the travelling couple requested a visit and were so impressed by the view they decided to film an episode on Jones’ patio.
“It was like a film studio. This place was full of equipment,” she said.
In each episode Roger Bansemer paints a landscape while Sarah Bansemer explores an interesting aspect of the local culture.
“I was very interested in coming to Ontario because we’ve met so many nice people from there over the years,” said Sarah Bansemer, the producer of the series.
“Georgina was just the icing on the cake.”
The Florida-based couple launched the show in 2010 and has since scoured the continent, filming nearly 100 episodes in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Roger Bansemer was the first artist to descend to the crash site of the Titanic, painting a picture of the wreckage in 2005 from inside a three-person submarine.
It was the first time the couple had visited the area.
“I looked out at her view and said, ‘This is such a great view, why don’t we do a show from your living room?’” Roger Bansemer said. “That was kind of a first for us.”
Jones, a retired teacher, has been painting for 25 years and has shown work in a number of exhibitions.
The series airs Sundays on WTVS Detroit. The episode featuring Jones and Point Edward’s waterfront is scheduled to air in the spring 2018.
For more about the artist and TV series, visit www.bansemer.com.