Tom Thomson, probably Canada’s most famous painter. Tom was quite an interesting character it seems: part painter, part woodsman, not exactly an outcast, but not mainstream either. A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. TT was an inspiration in the movement that later became the Group of Seven.
Tom died under mysterious circumstances, before the Group of Seven was formed, and this only adds to his mystique. In newly-formed Algonquin Park on 10 July 1917, his empty canoe was found, maybe upturned, maybe not. His body surfaced from the lake a few days later, fishing line wrapped around his ankle and a blow to the head. A real whodunnit mystery, and the conjecture continues.
One thing is clear: for a ridiculously short time, only 5 years really, this mainly self-trained artist, prolifically sketched from nature (in oils, on wood boards) and brought these modest works “my boards” back to his winter studio in Toronto and so, unwittingly, painted iconic masterworks that helped define Canada.
I’m keenly interested in his process and the challenges of using painted sketches as the reference for larger works. There’s a different feel about painting from paintings and this is something I plan to explore on this blog and at my up-coming Break-a-Brush! Workshop: Saturday 23 February, Other Jack Pines: Impressions of Tom Thomson.
