Group of Seven Artists among other things

As we are virtually living in the country, the internet has 'slow' spots and Terracotta is one of these places. It does not have public transport either, so we have worked around that. If we want to go into the city (downtown Toronto) on his way to work about 6.30am Hugh drops us off at the GO TRANSIT (train) station at Georgetown, a small town nearby, which is wonderful, and we catch a three decker train. The trip takes an hour and it is great seeing the countryside and parts of the city itself. We really enjoy doing this and have been in three times so far.

David at the station at Georgetown on the Kitchener Line

We visited the Art Gallery of Ontario to see an exhibition of some of the work of one of the Group of Seven artists, called The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris. The exhibition is curated by comedian, musician, actor and writer Steve Martin in collaboration with Cynthia Burlingham, Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs at the Hammer Museum, and Andrew Hunter, Fredrik S. Eaton Curator of Canadian Art at the AGO. It was splendid.

Lakes and Mountains, 1928, Lawren Harris,

One artist, associated with the Group of Seven artists, Tom Thompson, iwas influential in Canadian art, Tom Thompson died tragically before the Group of Seven was named, and would have belonged to it officially if he had lived. He loved Algonquin Provincial Park area and was a skilled huntsman, spending a lot of time painting the landscape. Thomson died under mysterious circumstances on Canoe Lake in Algonquin Park.

The West Wind, 1917, Tom Thompson, oil on canvas, 120.7 cm × 137.2 cm (47.5 in × 54.0 in)

The Group of Seven had a desire for simplicity in their work and also had an attachment to painting the real world, influenced by their mentors, the Impressionists. They must have had such fun going on camping/painting trips into the landscape together. They believed, like Walt Whitman (their favourite poet) "The art of art, the glory of expression is simplicity" (The Best of the Group of Seven, Joan Murray, 1984, McClellan & Stewart, Toronto. pp 7-23).