Reference: Andrews was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England and emigrated to Canada in 1947 with her husband, Walter Morgan. Despite her love of drawing and painting as a child, her family was unable to afford further education after her school years and she apprenticed as a welder. She worked as a welder in an airplane factory during WWI and again constructing warships during WWII. In the inter-war period she taught art in Bury St. Edmunds eventually saving enough money to study at Heatherley's School of Fine Art in London by 1922. She was then employed as a secretary at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art and used her wages to take courses and began making coloured linocuts. Upon arrival in Canada, Andrews and her husband settled in Campbell River, British Columbia, in an ocean front cottage with a studio for her art making and teaching. She remained there until her death forty five years later. Her works can be found in major art museums around the world and are highly sought after by collectors.

For detailed biographical information, examples of her work, and the progress of restoring her cottage as a heritage site see Sybil Andrews Heritage Society; for a fascinating essay on modern responses to the work of Andrews see the 2021 exhibit Finding Sybil: Contemporary Responses to the Art of Sybil Andrews at Campbell River Art Gallery; see The Society of Canadian Painter-Etchers and Engravers in Retrospect, by Andrew J. Oko, pg. 73, pubished by Art Gallery of Hamilton, 1981; Sybil Andrews, Colour Linocuts, by Peter White, published by Glenbow Museum, 1982; Linocuts of the Machine Age, by Stephen Coppel, published by Scolar Press, 1995; North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century, edited by Jules Heller and Nancy G. Heller, pg. 26, Garland Publishing, 1995 for a biography; Dictionary of British Artists 1880-1940, by J.Johnson, pg. 27, published by Acc Art Books, 2007; On the Curve: The Life and Art of Sybil Andrews, by Janet Nicol, Caitlin Press, 2019; Sybil and Cyril: Cutting Through Time by Jenny Uglow, published by Faber and Faber Limited, 2021; Westbridge, Vol. 1, pg. 5

Reference: Arndt is a British Columbia landscape painter whose work is inspired by the diverse landscapes of Western Canada, from the rugged shorelines of the Pacific to the towering Rockies. He lives and works from his studio homestead on a family-owned and operated tree fruit orchard, Arndt Orchards,in Kelowna. Arndt has exhibited at the Calgary Stampede’s Western Art Showcase for 25 years. He was one of the founding members of the Western Lights Artists Group which he travelled and exhibited with for many years.

see artist's website at Roger Arndt; for more biographical information and examples of work see Canada House Gallery; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: Born in High Prairie, Alberta Dr. Dale Auger B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D. was a prominent western Canadian and Sakaw Cree Indian painter, educator, author, and popular public speaker. His primary medium was acrylic paint and his subjects included portraits, figures, animals, and still life.

For more biographical information and examples of work see article at White Wolf Pack; see Mwakwa, Talks to the Loon, written and illustrated by D.Auger, Heritage Publishing, 2006 and Medicine Paint: The Art of Dale Auger, by Dale Auger and Mary-Beth Laviolette, Heritage House, 2009; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: Born in Montreal, Authier received a BFA from Concordia University in 2002 and an MFA from University of Guelph in 2006. In 2023 Authier was one of ten Canadians to participate in the Napoule Artist Residency in the South of France.

For more information and examples of work see artist's website at Melanie Authier; for a 2016 interview with the artist see National Gallery of Canada; see also the artist's 2018 show Contrarieties and Counterpoints at Mount Saint Vincent University listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: Born in Toronto, Bateman taught high school for 20 years, including two years in Nigeria, after graduating with an Honour's degree in geography from the University of Toronto in 1954. He began painting full time in 1976. His love and keen observation of the world around him was expressed through art from a young age. A recent article about him states that "by 12 years old, he had painted every hawk and owl in North America" [see below: article in Canadian Geographic]. The recipient of more than a dozen honourary doctorates and the subject of over nearly as many documentary films, he is one of the best known artists in Canada. He currently divides himself between his home on British Columbia’s Gulf Islands and a cottage in Ontario’s Haliburton County.

For more biographical information, examples of work, and a full list of publications see artist's website at Robert Bateman; for a 2024 article about the artist see Canadian Geographic; see The World of Robert Bateman, R.Derry, Ramsey, Random House, 1986; Portraits Of Nature: Paintings By Robert Bateman, by S.Shetler, Ontario, Penguin, 1987; Robert Bateman: An Artist In Nature, R.Bateman, Random/Madison, 1990; The Art of Robert Bateman, R.Bateman, Crescent Books, 1993 among others; biography in Dict. of Canadian Artists, by C.MacDonald, Vol.1, addendum

Reference: Maxwell Bennett Bates was born in Calgary in 1906. He studied painting under Lars Haukaness at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art. In 1931, he moved to England to study painting and architecture where he became a member of the “Twenties Group” which was supported by Lucy Wertheim. Bates continued to live in England until 1939 when he joined the Princess Louise Machine Gun Battalion. As part of the 51st Highland Division, he was sent off to fight in France but was captured by Germans at Dunkirk. He worked as a Prisoner of War at a Thuringian salt mine for the next five years. After being freed by American forces, Maxwell Bates returned to Calgary in 1946 to work at his father’s architecture firm. Bates ‘s career as an artist flourished throughout the 50s. He held multiple exhibitions throughout Canada and became a member of Canadian Group of Painters in 1957. In 1961, he suffered a stroke which left him partially paralyzed. He moved to Victoria soon after and continued his innovations with art. He became a founding member and the president of the Limners and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary in 1971. A retrospective of his work was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1973 and he was awarded the order of Canada in 1980, shortly before his death.

see Maxwell Bates, Retrospective Exhibition, by R.Bloore, Norman Mackenzie, 1961; Maxwell Bates, by C.Graham, AGGV, 1966; Maxwell Bates, by F.Eckhardt, WAG, 1968; Maxwell Bates, in Retrospect, by T.Guernsey, VAG, 1973; Maxwell Bates, A Retrospective, by I.Thom, AGGV, 1982; Maxwell Bates: Landscapes 1948-1978, by N.Townshend, Medicine Hat Art Gallery, 1982; Maxwell Bates, Biography of an Artist, by K.Snow, U. of Calgary Press; Maxwell Bates: Canada's Premier Expressionist of the 20th Century, by N.Townshend, 2005; wrote and illustrated A Wilderness of Days, by Maxwell Bates, Sono Nis Press, 1978; biography in Benezit, Tome 1, pg.506; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website

Reference: biography and other examples in N.G.C. Vol.1, A-F, ed.C.Hill, pg.64; A.G.O., by the A.G.O., pg.14 and exhibition lists in R.C.A.A., pg.14 and M.M.F.A., by E.McMann, pg.21; Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction, by A.Westbridge, Vol.1, pg.22, Westbridge Pub., 1999; included in Check List of the War Collection, R.Wodehouse, pg.71, N.G.C., 1968

Reference: Don Begg first studied bronze casting and sculpture in Alberta and California, followed by specialized training in monumental sculpture in New Jersey and New York. World-renowned for his public monuments and sculptures, Don Begg has been sculpting at Studio West Bronze Foundry & Gallery since its establishment in 1970. In addition to creating popular public art attractions, and winning numerous public art commissions and awards, his works can be seen throughout Canada, United States, Germany and France.

See foundry website at Studio West; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith was born in London in 1846, the son of John Bell-Smith. He attended South Kensignton Art Schools in London and The Academie Colarossi in Paris; he studied under both his father and Alexander Harrison. He came to Montreal in 1866 at the age of 20 and worked as a photographer. He was a founding member of the Society of Canadian Artists, Montreal 1867. He lived and worked in Montreal, Hamilton and Toronto making illustrations for newpaper and other periodicals. While in Hamilton Bell-Smith worked with James Inglis and L. Eckerson.
In 1881 he began teaching and was made Director of Fine Arts at Alma College where he was appointed Director of Fine Arts of Public Schools of London Ontario in 1882. Bell-Smith was also the principal of the Western Branch of Toronto Art School from 1888-1890.
Bell-Smith was featured often in the Canadian Illustrated News where he recorded local Canadian news events. In 1872 the artist accompanied Lord Dufferin to western Ontario. He travelled extensively to the Rocky Mountains under CPR srpnsorship between 1887 and 1918 and joined the first CPR passes made available by William Van Horne.
An accomplished artist Bell-Smith was made ARCA in 1880 and RCA in 1886. Bell-Smith is best known for his watercolour paintings of misty Canadian mountain peaks and glaciers as well as street scenes and city-scapes of London.

See Frederic Marlett Bell-Smith [1846-1923], by R.Boulet, A.G.G.V., 1976; N.G.C. Vol.1, A-F, ed.C.Hill, pg.76; A.G.O., by the A.G.O., pg.17 for other examples; biographies in Dict. of Canadian Artists, by C.MacDonald, Vol.1, pg.36; E.P.E.C., by R.Harper, pg.26 and Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction, by A.Westbridge, Vol.1, pg.27, Westbridge Pub., 1999; exhibition list in R.C.A.A., pp.28-32 and M.M.F.A., by E.McMann, pp.26-28

Reference: Born in Casablanca, Caroline Chana Benchetrit is a self-taught painter, sculptor and designer. In 1996 she left behind a business and academic career, including an MBA and PH.D from Montreal’s Ivy League McGill University, to pursue her artistic dream. She is known for her signature style “Girls” which have been reproduced as life size porcelain and bronze sculptures and mixed media paintings. Her original artworks are collected in North America, Europe and Asia and have been exhibited in galleries around the world.

For more biographical information and examples of work at Caroline Benchetrit and Shayne Gallery

Reference: David Blackwood was born in 1941 in Wesleyville, Newfoundland. He was the son to Captain Edward and Molly Blackwood, a family with a long seafaring history. In 1959, he graduated from Wesleyville Memorial High School and received a Government of Newfoundland Centennial Scholarship to study at the Ontario College of Art. Blackwood graduates from the Ontario College of Art in 1963 and was appointed as art master at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario. In 1964, the National Gallery of Canada purchased Blackwood’s first etching, The Search Party for its Biennial of Canadian Prints. In 1969, he became artist in residence at Erindale Collge, University of Toronto, in Mississauga. His works were exhibited throughout Canada and was awarded the Order of Canada in 1993, in recognition of his contributions to the cultural life and the heritage of Canada. In 2000, David and Anita Blackwood gifted a major collection of Blackwood prints which gave Art Gallery of Ontario the collection of record for Blackwood’s work and created a Blackwood Research Centre.

See artist's website David Blackwood; see David Blackwood Prints 1962-1984, by P.Grattan, Art Gallery of the Memorial University of Newfoundland; The Art of David Blackwood, by W.Gough, McGraw Hill Ryerson, 1988; David Blackwood Master Printmaker, by W.Gough, Douglas and McIntyre, 2001; biography and other examples in N.G.C. Vol.1, A-F, ed.C.Hill, pg.96; exhibited at Gallery One, Toronto, Heffel Gallery, Vancouver and New Zones Gallery, Calgary; exhibition list in R.C.A.A., by E.McMann, pg.38; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: Born in Kalvarija, Lithuania, Borenstein was a painter, a draughtsman, a watercolourist and a sculptor. He immigrated in 1921 with his father and a sister to Montreal, where four of his brothers were already living. After apprenticing with a furrier and working as a cutter in a garment factory, Borenstein focused full-time on painting. With only minimal formal training, he approached painting with a distinctively modernist sensibility, rejecting traditional narrative, romantic subject matter and academic technique in favor of direct observation of the world and a free and expressive use of paint and color, taking inspiration from the works of avant-garde European artists, which he saw and admired in museums and galleries. He studied with Ezéar Soucy, John Y. Johnstone, and Alfred Laliberté at the Council of Arts and Manufactures in Montreal around 1926-29
for more biographical detail see www.galerievalentin.com; see Sam Borenstein, by W.Kuhns/L.Rosshandler, McClelland and Stewart, 1978; Sam Borenstein, by J. Des Rochers, Montreal Museum of Fine Art, 2005; biography and other examples in N.G.C. Vol.1, A-F, ed.C.Hill, pg.115; Jewish Painters and Modernity, Montreal 1930-1945, by E.Trepanier, pg.125, Centre Saidye-Bronfman, 1987; exhibition list in M.M.F.A., pg.38 and R.C.A.A., pg.41 by E.McMann

Reference: Nicholas was born in Holland and at the age of seventeen moved to Canada and settled in Smithers, where he fell in love with the scenic beauty of the British Columbia landscape. He spent many days on remote mountain slopes, some locations accessible only by helicopter.

For more biographical information and examples see artist's website at Nicholas Bott and Madrona Gallery; biography in Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction, by A.Westbridge, Vol.1, pg.38, Westbridge Pub., 1999; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada; represented by Madrona Gallery, Victoria

Reference: see artist's website at Lisa Brawn; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: see biography and other examples in A.G.O., by the A.G.O., pg.42; N.G.C. Vol.1, A-F, ed.C.Hill, pg.132; founding member of the C.S.P.W.C.; Dict. of Canadian Artists, by C.MacDonald, Vol.1 pg.85; Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction, by A.Westbridge, Vol.1, pg.46, Westbridge Pub., 1999; Manitoba Society of Artists by J.Stoppler, pg.69, the Manitoba Society of Artists, 2003; exhibition list in R.C.A.A., by E.McMann, pg.44; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website

Reference: Brimacombe is originally from Manitoba, Canada but has been painting in the Harrison - Chilliwack area of British Columbia since 1980. Known especially for his fine watercolours, his focus has been on the Western Canadian landscape - prairie scenes, westcoast shorelines, and majestic mountains.

See Canwest Art Gallery for further biographical information and examples of his work; biography in Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction, by A.Westbridge, Vol.1, pg.46, Westbridge Pub., 1999; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: Harley Brown was raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, moving to Calgary in his teens where he attended the Alberta College of Fine Art.

For more biographical information and examples of work see artist's website at Harley Brown; see Shell Canada Collection, by B.Shammas, pg.8, Shell Canada, Calgary, 1977; biography in Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction, by A.Westbridge, Vol.1, pg. 48, Westbridge Pub., 1999; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada

Reference: Bill Brownridge was born in Rosetown, Saskatchewan in 1932. He was born with a condition called Spina bifida. His inability to participate sparked his interest in creating art that reflected his passion for hockey. He graduated from Alberta College of Art in 1957 and became a professional graphic designer. In 1981 Brownridge received a commission from the Calgary Winter Olympic Development Association to create a series of silkscreens depicting winter Olympic games. They were used as part of Calgary’s presentation for 1988 Winter Olympics. In 1993, he was commissioned to design new uniforms for the Calgary Flames Hockey Team. He fully retired from working as a commercial artist in 1995 to become a full time artist and write. His first book "The Moccasin Goalie" was published in 1995 and he has published several more books since.

For more biographical information and examples of work see artist's website at Heart of Hockey; see also a 2024 interview about Brownridge with Shawn Roarke of the NHL at NHL; biography in Biographical Dict. of Saskatchewan Artists - Men, by M.Newman, pg.36, Fifth House Pub., 1994 and Collector's Dictionary of Canadian Artists at Auction, by A.Westbridge, Vol.1, pg.49, Westbridge Pub., 1999; listed on Artists in Canada, a Union List of Artists' Files, by National Gallery of Canada Library et al, Canadian Heritage Information Network [CHIN] website at Artists in Canada; represented by Gibson Fine Art, Calgary, Canada House Gallery, Banff and others

Reference: Catherine Burgess is an Alberta sculptor who has been making and exhibiting her work for the past 45 years. Born in Ponoka, Alberta in 1953, she lived in Edmonton from 1955-1960, spent the 1960’s in Vancouver and returned to Edmonton in 1969 where she has lived and worked to the present day. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta in 1975. Her early education also included a summer session at Yale University -Yale at Norfolk in 1974. She attended several influential artists’ workshops: Emma Lake Artists’ Workshop in 1977; the inaugural Triangle Artists’ Workshop in Pine Plains, New York in 1982; and the Hardingham Sculpture Workshop In Norfolk, England in 1988. She has been working in the medium of abstract steel and mixed media sculpture for over forty years. Her work has been widely exhibited, including solo exhibitions at the Mendel Art Gallery, Saskatoon (1980), The Whyte Museum, Banff (touring 1982-83), The Edmonton Art Gallery, Edmonton (1990), Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge (1995), the Nickle Arts Museum (1995), the Alberta Gallery of Art, Edmonton (2012). She has participated in over 70 group shows, both nationally and internationally. Her sculptures are represented in over twenty public collections across Canada, including the National Gallery of Canada. Downtown Edmonton is home to two of her outdoor commissioned pieces: The Big Rock, 1995 (a collaborative sculpture done with Sandra Bromley) and Return, 2001. In addition she has produced public sculptures for Banff and Guelph. Catherine currently lives and works in Edmonton.
see artist's web site at catherineburgess.ca; see Catherine Burgess, by N. Tousley, Edmonton Art Gallery, 1990; Things As They Are, by B.Grenville, Southern Alberta Art Gallery, 1994