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These two relatives of mine have an interesting relationship with each other and, of course, with Art. In all ways and forms. Poetry, literature, stamps, cards, invitations.
Helen Cavara I have never met here on earth said “Take the bad with the good from the moment you are born, such as there is not a real Rose without a thorn.”
They met through art and lived with Art. They have also been survived by Art. My nanna painted botanical images whilst battling cancer and did an absolutely amazing job of it. My grandfather was known to me as nannu bannu (his real name was Lewis Wirth, of course) and Angel Rose Helen was my nanna (Helen Cavarra). They are surely painting the clouds with angels and with St Rita, who is associated with Roses and is the saint of impossible situations. We all love roses. Me especially, since I was a little girl … along with butterflies and all sorts of other flowers.
I could write a book about them. In fact my dear grandmother Helen did just that … wrote a book, in which, when read, the English language expression literally leaves the reader breathless. A book was also written by my mother, their daughter Mariz Cassar Wirth Cavarra, who married Henry Cassar, my dad, who makes wine, which my grandmother used to love to drink – red in particular.
A simple irony is that my then only two living grans, grandfather, Lewis, and grandmother, Jane Cassar, dad’s mum, became the best of friends. She, as we all do, has a whole collection of his works. He would never sell them, but always gave them away to many people, for example other artists, as gifts. We were all left with hidden treasures of a humble, but yet wonderul, proportions.
A legacy. Art kept him going, as did I. When I was born he finally got out of his house to come and see me and we became pretty much inseparable. There were lots of outings together, for example to Chadwick Lakes. My brother Robert was also very close to him and inherted his artistic talent. He is, in fact, an architect. The two of them had a strong artistic bond.
Apart from inheriting his greenish-grey eyes, the only talents I inherited from my grans are poetry and fashion design … along with a love of nature and of pretty things: ornaments, antiques, tea-cups, and handbags.
They were precious human beings who left precious, original works of art (that can be seen and purchased here, on this website). It is my dream that they be much better known than they are already, and appreciated, though they never promoted themselves in life.
Lewis Wirth also left behind many students who adored him and who have all done something with what he taught them with so much love, dedication, passion and talent. He reciprocated by adoring his students back and he often insisted that they helped him more than he did them.
Both nannu and nanna were true artists, who did what they did for the love of Art, as well as for the true love they had for each other. All of this through a talent that still astounds me.
I still remember nannu driving around Malta and Gozo, stopping at a spot that could be a church, or were a luzzu was, and sketching it on the spot. He would colour code, then go home and build the painting in stages.
I am inviting you to go through each art category on this site, all easily identified, analyse the places that each work interprets and recognise details. Choose one, two or 222 (my lucky number) and contact me if you would like to buy them. These are worth every reasonable penny you shall pay for them.
It would be an honour for myself, my mother, brother and the rest of the family, to have such prestigious artworks by my grans hanging in people’s homes, offices, gardens, hotels, restaurants … all over the world. They truly deserve it.
We look forward to people, both those who love art, and even those who normally would not appreciate it, to realise just how great the paintings are that you can find on this site, and I sincerely hope that you will want to own them.
Nannu and nanna too would have been honoured.
Michelle Cassar Wirth Cavarra
