A B.C. artist said she experienced "the proudest moment of her life" last week when Sophie Gregoire Trudeau noticed — and bought — a portrait the painter created of her.
On Aug. 8, Tofino's Deanna Lankin heard that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife were visiting the beach town. Gregoire Trudeau had been looking at jewelry Lankin's business partner was selling, and had promised to come back the next day.
Lankin, who said she "loves" the prime minister's wife and regards her as a "personal hero," decided to whip up a painting to show her appreciation.
The finished portrait shows Gregoire Trudeau — a yoga instructor — practicing on Chesterman Beach.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and daughter Ella-Grace attend the 38th Annual Vancouver Pride Parade on July 31, 2016 in Vancouver. (Photo: Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
"I stayed up until 4 a.m... slept for 3 hours & finished [the artwork] just in time to bring into the shop," Lankin wrote in a Facebook post.
The next day, Gregoire Trudeau came by the gallery, and only saw the painting for a moment before she had to leave. But on Friday, she came back with her husband.
They ended up buying the painting as a souvenir.
"It was really great," Lankin told HuffPost Canada on Monday. "It's always cool as an artist to put yourself out there and have it pay off."
The prime minister has close ties with the province having lived and worked in B.C. prior to entering politics. His mother, Margaret, was born and raised in Vancouver.
Trudeau was vacationing on Vancouver Island last week with his family. He photobombed a wedding without a shirt on — making headlines around the world — and was spotted surfing on Chesterman Beach.
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