Watercolors by Mrs. Winograd

A Renaissance Woman

Lila Winograd was my math teacher twenty-four years ago. Observing her coiffed hair, stockings, heels, and lipstick, I thought she was highly elegant. Back then, I was a new immigrant and wore the same light blue tracksuit, with a pink stripe across the chest, nearly every day. She, on the other hand, looked like she had just stepped out of the fashion spread pages. Precisely because of her great sense of style and refinement, it’s not surprising that Winograd developed an interest in art.

The story of how she stumbled onto the hobby is telling. What Winograd really wanted to do was learn how to play bridge. She planned to take lessons with a couple of friends. When her sister bowed out, the group couldn’t find a fourth person because “nobody wanted to play with such novices.” Instead of sitting around and waiting for someone to show up, Winograd decided to add to her palette when she saw a story about a watercolor class taught by Carolyn Simon.

That was more than twenty years ago and she has been going to the East Side Art Center in Providence ever since. Simon shares, “Lila has been my student for almost 24 years and one that I admire greatly. Her perseverance to develop her art was and is outstanding. Her motto has always been ‘I don’t give up.’ Not only has she developed a style and an assurance with her work, but she has sold pieces in various shows and fairs.”

A woman of many interests, Winograd downplays her dedication to art, “If I don’t go, I don’t paint. There are too many other things I’m doing.” Marcia Blacher, a friend who plays mahjong with Winograd, supports that notion. Blacher lists Winograd’s numerous talents, “She paints beautifully. She knits beautifully. She’s a fantastic cook and baker.” Simon reiterates Blacher’s compliments regarding Winograd’s effort and willingness to devote herself fully, “Art, in spite of its carefree reputation, is 99% perspiration, and Lila’s art is a shining example of its true spirit.”

When, toward the end of our conversation, Winograd shares that she is inspired by the Renaissance, it all falls into place. Not because her watercolor paintings are highly realistic, but because she herself is a Renaissance woman, in a sense. A polymath, Winograd is no stranger to the idea of rebirth. When she broke her back a couple of years ago, she couldn’t go to class and was frustrated by her forced imprisonment. To alleviate boredom, she took her teacher’s suggestion and tried a new medium. Winograd began cutting up her old paintings and making collages out of them. The results were so successful that most of them are now hanging on the walls of her friends’ and family’s houses. She has only one collage left for herself.

Besides giving away her works to loved ones as presents, Winograd sells her art. Simon understands the appeal, “She has an open and relaxed style that has charmed the people that both look at and purchase her work.” Often, guests buy paintings right off Winograd’s walls. They come to her house, see something they like and leave with it. Also, she sells many artworks during her grandson’s school’s annual holiday program. In addition, her paintings sometimes hang in restaurants, such as Amy’s Place on Wickenden Street in Providence, where she currently has two paintings on display. However, selling art is not Winograd’s intention. She emphasizes that, when she paints, she does it because she enjoys it.

She also likes to be able to do something for people she cares about, saying, “When somebody’s nice to me, I just give them a painting.” Blacher is one of the lucky recipients. She admits, “I’m very proud to own a Lila Winograd painting.” Blacher describes her friend as “an unusually lovely person – warm and kind,” saying that Winograd’s inner and outer beauty is reflected in her art, which she feels is magnificent. Blacher says, “I’ve been to so many art galleries, and I’ve always felt that her watercolors were among the very best I’ve ever seen.”

Winograd favors nature – she likes painting flowers, landscapes, grass, water and beach scenes. Sometimes, she uses photographs, holding the picture in her hand as she paints. She doesn’t make any drawings, preferring to launch into painting right away. Admitting that she doesn’t always approve of the finished look, Winograd shares that, on occasion, she struggles with perspective. The constructive criticism offered in class usually helps to correct any awkwardness she might notice. When asked about oil paints, she says that she did try them many years ago, but preferred the appearance of watercolors, “I like the looseness and the way the colors meld into one another.”

If you would like to see Winograd’s work for yourself, you are in luck. In May, some of her paintings, among those of other local artists, will be displayed in gallery (401) at the Dwares JCC in Providence. Contact Erin Moseley, Director of Arts and Culture and Next Generation Engagement, at 401-421-4111, ext. 108, or at emoseley@jewishallianceri.org for more information.