82-year-old Regina man gives back through art

David Butt has about 80 years of practice as an artist of all sorts creating paintings, sketches, ceramics and poetry,and this weekend he sold some of his pieces at an art show.

He’s donating half of the proceeds to SOPHIA House, a Regina organization that provides housing for people from violent homes and is known to help women especially.

“My wife was a good feminist and converted me in a hurry,” he said with a laugh. “Between the two of us, we were always trying to help women in trouble.”

He said his wife, Beverley, died of cancer five years ago.

They’ve travelled all across the world together, which inspires much of his artwork and is why he chooses to donate.

Artist David Butt and his wife, Beverley Butt, followed this line across the world which David says took them eight years on July 16, 2018. (Jayda Noyes/980 CJME)

“We came across a lot of Buddhists and other things and the philosophy was ‘the more you give away, the more that comes back to you,'” said Butt.

This isn’t the first time he’s given back to others. He’s donated paintings to Trans Canada Trail, The Justice for our Stolen Children Camp and Saskatchewan Freedom Climbers, a group that raises money for trafficked women.

Another good deed Butt has taken on is teaching free art classes to seniors.

The art show displayed a few pieces of personal history including Beverley’s travel backpack with all of the countries they went to written on it.

Beverley Butt’s backpack with the countries her and David travelled to is displayed in the art show on July 16, 2018. (Jayda Noyes/980 CJME)

Also included was a book his mom gave him for Christmas when he was five-years-old called “The Picture Gallery of Canadian History” which tells the story of his home country in pictures. Butt started drawing at a young age.

“I’m just totally content with what I do, and a lot of it is community,” said Butt, emphasizing how he combines both his talent and heart.