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| Clara Guardo Paradis, 1935-2013 |
I am including a short biography of her life as well as a few examples of her art. She followed in her father's footsteps - she was an accomplished artist in her own right.
Biography
Clara was born in Montreal in 1935.
Guided by her Parents, and surrounded by her three sisters,
she grew up in an atmosphere of love, happiness, art, and culture.
She demonstrated an exceptional intellectual aptitude. She
graduated from high school Magna cum laude and was listed as one of the top ten
students in all of Quebec. She
graduated from Marianopolis College
in Montreal in 1956, Cum Laude. She
was Valedictorian as well as Editor-in-Chief of the Year book.
She met the love of her life, Jean Paradis, in 1953, and they married in 1956. They lived in various cities in Canada
and the United States,
and traveled extensively all over the world.
Throughout her life the most important thing was family and
friends. She was a caring and loving wife, a
wonderful mother of three sons, a doting
grandmother of five, and an awe inspiring great grandmother of one. She was
also a loyal and trustworthy family relative, or friend, to many others.
It is said that behind every great man there is a great
woman. Certainly the case with Clara. An invaluable help,
she demonstrated an understated elegance, impeccable manners, and sharp wit.
She was able to be comfortable in any social or business situation.
She also had interests outside the home. In 1965 she was
responsible for helping establish Chateauguy’s first Library and Civic Centre, and
during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s she taught English as a second language
to recent immigrants to Canada.
She was passionate about life, with hobbies ranging from
Art, to Music, Ballroom dancing, Travel, Bridge, Reading,
and Cinema. A true beauty inside and out, she was loved, respected, and admired
by all those who had the privilege to meet and know her.
In her later years, she continued working on a project
started by her sister (Ada)
documenting the art of her father, well-known Canadian sculptor Joseph Guardo.
His extensive body of work includes a number of objets d’art that can be found
at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal.
She was also an accomplished artist in her own right.
Samples of her work
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| Copenhagen Flower Market |
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| Study in White |
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| Bangkok Floating Market |
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| Sailing at Sunset |
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| Storm |
