Bermuda travelers who met Alfred Birdsey (1912–1996) would not easily forget him. The unassuming but prolific painter welcomed thousands of visitors over the years to his Paget [1] studio, where he often treated them to tea and a chat, no matter whether any art changed hands. Renowned outside of Bermuda, his Impressionistic, even Asian-influenced brushstrokes of island landscapes, yachts, harbors, and backstreets revolutionized the way Bermuda was captured in art and caught the imagination of collectors worldwide.
Today, his daughter, Jo Birdsey-Linberg, carries on the family tradition at The Birdsey Studio (Rosecote, 5 Stowe Hill, tel. 441/236-6658, linberg [at] northrock [dot] bm, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Mon.–Fri., appointments recommended). Like her father, she breaks artistic conventions—and makes guests feel entirely at home. Birdsey-Linberg’s breezy watercolor landscapes and whimsical animal portraits—popular children’s gifts—range in price from $80 to $450; oils are priced $400 and up. The studio also sells note cards of Alfred Birdsey’s work, which Birdsey-Linberg is in the process of memorializing in a book.
Park your scooter in front of the house and follow the path on the left to the back garden, where the studio is located amid roses, lilies, cacti, and paw-paw trees. Birdsey-Linberg, a Latin scholar, musician, and mother, can be found here most weekday mornings, with her “assistant managers”—two miniature dachshunds, Mango and Chutney.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/bermuda/devonshire-and-paget-parishes/paget-parish