ALAN WYLIE AND JANICE ROBERTSON – artists of light

When I first saw his work, what impressed me was his understanding of light on any subject and his ability to express it on canvas and paper. I enjoyed his art so a few years ago I took a weekend workshop with him. Alan Wylie lives nearby in the quaint village of Fort Langley. Alan is an honoured artist, a graduate from the Glasgow School of Art in 1960 and beneficiary of a fine tradition of Scottish Realism. He immigrated to Canada in 1967, settling first in Nova Scotia and in 1973 moving to British Columbia. He is married to another renowned Canadian artist, Janice Robertson.

He is a remarkably versatile artist using various mediums and painting varied subjects, landscapes, figures, still life. If you watch his minute strokes on an 8X10 inch canvas you might not imagine his capacity for murals that measure 100 feet by 20 feet. Yet he is celebrated for his grand murals in public and private institutions around North America and Europe. A link on his website recites some of the many murals he has painted through his career. He has exhibited across Canada and the United States and he is represented in the collections of the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts, the Lt. Governor of Nova Scotia, Prudential Assurance Company, Hiram Walker & Sons, Shell Oil Resources, the Lt. Governor of British Columbia and many other collections.

He is a Senior Signature Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, the Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists, the Northwest Watercolor Society, the California Watercolor Association, the Louisiana Watercolor Society, and the first Canadian to be awarded the distinction of being a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society.

Like her husband, Janice Robertson works in watercolor, acrylics and oil. Janice was born on Vancouver Island, into a family with a long history of female artists. Her professional artistic career has flourished rapidly since it began in 1989. She became a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists in 1987 and in 1993 she was awarded the FCA’s highest status- Senior Signature member [SFCA]. In 1999 she was elected as President of the Federation. In 1999, she was awarded signature status in the Northwest Watercolor Society. She has acquired many awards among which is the Bronze Medal in the Federation of Canadian Artists 2000 Signature Members show, the Margaret and William Foley Award at the 2001 Adirondacks National Exhibition of Watercolors in New York and the Foreign Award at the Houston Watercolor Society's exhibition in Texas in 2004.

Janice too cherishes the importance of light and is quoted here. "Quality of light is important to me", says Janice. "It gives me energy and inspiration and I hope something of that quality is what I give to people in my paintings."

Alan Wylie Personal website
*Birthplace of BC Gallery, Wylie Page
Janice Robertson Personal website
*Birthplace of BC Gallery, Robertson Page


Wylie Mural above "World in Motion" located in Chemainus on Vancouver Island.

G10 Group of Artists - Take 2

Yesterday I commented about the G10 Group of Artists from a relatively uninformed position. Numerous artists whose work I perused have mentioned the G10 on their websites so I wanted to explore their unique discipline of meeting weekly to paint, talk and dine together.

Robert McMurray kindly corresponded to fill in some further details. He organized the group in February 1999 and initially ten artists comprised the group which became known as G10. Over time these full time members were joined by others who came as their schedules permitted. Among the early members were such well known artists as Brent Heighton, Mike Svob, Brent Lynch, Rick McDiarmid, Susan McIvor, Sheila Symington. Bob thinks that possibly Bernie Major and Susan Falk were also with the original number. Occasionally Robert Genn, Alan Wylie, Janice Robertson, Suzanne Northcott and Jeanne Duffey met their colleagues for these delightful days. Space was rented at Beecher Place, lighting and assorted equipment and life models of course were provided and the drawing sessions were followed by a meal at Beecher Street Café. I learned from Bob M, that group members shared several shows at the Firehall Gallery in Delta. As life unfolded for each artist and other priorities arose, it was deemed wise to conclude the G10 group meetings and the group was dissolved in August 2007.

I couldn't properly display The triptych above called From the Water but it is an oil painting by Robert McMurray. It's dimensions are right panel 42" X 30"; centre panel 42 x 60"; right panel 42" X 30" and it is in a private collection. Images are the property of the artist. Seek his permission for use.

Oh, and by the way, my golf game yesterday was hot and cold much like my painting it seems.