Vincent Price’s admiration for W.J. Hopkinson

By Mark Skeffington One notable admirer of Canadian artist William John Hopkinson’s paintings was the American actor Vincent Price, best known for starring in dozens of gothic horror movies. Vincent Price (1911-1993) penned a letter to W.J. Hopkinson on the occasion of the Newmarket, Ontario artist’s 80th birthday in 1967. The letter reads: “Dear William Hopkinson. As a long time admirer of your beautiful paintings, may I join the throng in wishing you a very Happy Birthday! … [Read more...]

E-books Bring Canadian Art History to Life

By Mark Skeffington An ambitious project is breathing new life into Canadian art history. The project involves publishing a series of e-books on notable Canadian artists, with an emphasis on ground-breaking artists, both historical and contemporary. The Art Canada Institute has already published a dozen titles, with six more scheduled to come out between now and next spring. “The Art Canada Institute's goal is to get Canadians talking about historic art today. We believe that the … [Read more...]

Sampson-Matthews Silkscreen Story

By Mark Skeffington When is a print more than just a print? The answer: When it’s a Sampson-Matthews silkscreen. Prints aren’t as valued or sought-after by art collectors. However, Canadian art silkscreens produced by the Sampson-Matthews Ltd. company of Toronto from 1942-1963 hold a special place in the homes of many art collectors. The silkscreens also hold a special place in the history of Canadian art and Canada. The story is familiar to some, but not to … [Read more...]

Group of Seven inspires artist John Leonard

By Mark Skeffington With hundreds of exhibits to his credit, artist John C. Leonard doesn’t worry about self-promotion or seek out publicity. “I’ve had more than 350 shows. I don’t need the promotion,” the 69-year-old Canadian artist says, explaining his relatively low profile, especially online. Stories and bios about John Leonard are hard to find, even though he has exhibited since the late 1960s in Canada and abroad, and his works are held in dozens of public and corporate … [Read more...]

The Longevity of Canadian Artists

The death of Alex Colville at age 92 in July 2013 was a reminder of the amazing longevity of many Canadian artists. Imagine an artistic career encompassing six or seven decades, plenty of time to explore different and sometimes ever-changing dreams, impulses, inspirations, influences, styles, mediums. Of course, not all Canadian artists had lives and creative careers spanning decades.  Some, sadly, left us too soon  – Tom Thomson at age 40, George Kulmala at 44 – before sharing all their … [Read more...]