heart of our environment to reveal its meaning and hence its deep beauty. We are
to be proud of our own British Columbian Emily Carr, of Victoria, for leading the
way in this respect. | would say she had made our first major contribution.

LOGGER’S CULLS EMILY CARR

(Courtesy Vancouver Art Gallery)

We need colour—plastic colour. So far a heavy, sombre tone pervades our
painting. When the early Group members were stirred deeply by the Autumn
beauty of the Algonquin Park country they piled on more reds, oranges and blues.
But they did not achieve colour. They are still dull. They did not orchestrate their
colour by warm and cool changes. They did not fuse it with light. Their colour was
laid on top of the form. The form did not conceive itself out of the colour. Our
painters produced a certain mood but they did not produce an atmosphere. There
is an opportunity here for our second major contribution.

So far, too, we have lacked a keen psychological insight into Canada. Miss
Carr has indicated a great tragic poetry in this respect, but only in regard to land-
scape. | have already mentioned Daumier. Does not the transfer of this poetry to
our human environment seem logical? Here could be a third great contribution.

And while speaking of Daumier and his capacity for laughter, we need a
lightness and humour born of the free spirit. Could this be another great element?

Then, after all these things—the “first plain, powerful manifestoes’’ have
been made, we need charm, delicacy and intimacy. We had a hint of it in our local
Mr. Varley; but it petered out. We are sorely ready for those qualities of grace and
tenderness—the feminine spirit, the leavening of our sombre passion, of the hard
intellect we must develop.

In short, we have had ‘Solemn Land,” and ‘’Above Lake Superior’’ which
were fine. We need now first a Cézanne and then a Constable.

We have had two indications from the West. There is every reason, from
the vitality of the students here, to hope that there may be a third—or even a fourth.

There are exciting years awaiting those who are seriously tuned to art in
Canada, as active painters or as active appreciators and educators.

Might we requote Cézanne: ‘We are the primitives of a new movement.”’

It is my privilege to declare this book concluded. | know that | am wrong.

—J.L. SHADBOLT.

*

heart of our environment to reveal its meaning and hence its deep beauty. We are
to be proud of our own British Columbian Emily Carr, of Victoria, for leading the
way in this respect. | would say she had made our first major contribution.

LOGGER’S CULLS EMILY CARR

(Courtesy Vancouver Art Gallery)

We need colour—plastic colour. So far a heavy, sombre tone pervades our
painting. When the early Group members were stirred deeply by the Autumn
beauty of the Algonquin Park country they piled on more reds, oranges and blues.
But they did not achieve colour. They are still dull. They did not orchestrate their
colour by warm and cool changes. They did not fuse it with light. Their colour was
laid on top of the form. The form did not conceive itself out of the colour. Our
painters produced a certain mood but they did not produce an atmosphere. There
is an opportunity here for our second major contribution.

So far, too, we have lacked a keen psychological insight into Canada. Miss
Carr has indicated a great tragic poetry in this respect, but only in regard to land-
scape. | have already mentioned Daumier. Does not the transfer of this poetry to
our human environment seem logical? Here could be a third great contribution.

And while speaking of Daumier and his capacity for laughter, we need a
lightness and humour born of the free spirit. Could this be another great element?

Then, after all these things—the “first plain, powerful manifestoes’’ have
been made, we need charm, delicacy and intimacy. We had a hint of it in our local
Mr. Varley; but it petered out. We are sorely ready for those qualities of grace and
tenderness—the feminine spirit, the leavening of our sombre passion, of the hard
intellect we must develop.

In short, we have had ‘Solemn Land,” and “Above Lake Superior’ which
were fine. We need now first a Cézanne and then a Constable.

We have had two indications from the West. There is every reason, from
the vitality of the students here, to hope that there may be a third—or even a fourth.

There are exciting years awaiting those who are seriously tuned to art in
Canada, as active painters or as active appreciators and educators.

Might we requote Cézanne: “We are the primitives of a new movement.”

It is my privilege to declare this book concluded. | know that | am wrong.

—J. L. SHADBOLT.

PY