CELEBRATING A CENTENNIAL
On Canvas
RACHEL KURLAND | JE STAFF
Bernice Paul doesn’t have to go very far to paint a landscape.

In fact, she just steps out into her backyard.

The 100-year-old artist has been painting for almost as long, and finds her inspiration through nature. Dressed
in blue jeans, canvas shoes and a pink sweater that matched her glasses, the curly white-haired Paul has an energy
as vibrant and youthful as her artwork. Although her vision has deteriorated, making it more difficult to see while
painting, that hasn’t stopped Paul from pursuing her passion.

She showed about 30 pieces of her art — colorful flowers and lush landscapes — in the Lawrence Gallery at
Rosemont College last month, the same month she celebrated her 100th birthday.

Paul was always interested in painting, but it took a long time before she pursued it intently. From there, she
didn’t know it would consume so much of her life.

6 MAY 18, 2017
THE GOOD LIFE
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



Brush: Tarzhanova; Background: 649114470/iStock/Thinkstock.com; Paul: Rachel Kurland
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Growing up in Moscow, one of her teacher’s brothers was
an artist, and she always admired his work. But there were
few opportunities to practice and learn art techniques.

Although her father was an observant rabbi, her family
was liberal and encouraged her passion. Her parents’ friend
often brought over crayons and coloring books.

When Paul was a pre-teen, the family of four girls and
one boy fled from Soviet Russia and immigrated to
Philadelphia during the Great Depression.

“We went in the middle of the night with the help of some
friends, and nobody knew anything about it,” she recalled. They
escaped on a horse-drawn wagon waiting for them in the dark.

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www.GoldsteinsFuneral.com See Canvas, Page 8
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM THE GOOD LIFE
MAY 18, 2017
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