Gordon Smith has painted landscapes of most of West Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»over the 59 years that hes called it home.
Minutes ago, Smith was putting the finishing touches on a snowy wilderness scene in his bright, white studio. The giant canvas stood prominently against a vast wall. It loomed over Smith as he placed a few twigs in the paintings corner.
His West Van home was designed by celebrated architect Arthur Erickson. Its open concept offers views of the tall cedars and the ocean, a magical place, Smith says gesturing to Howe Sound.
Smith moved to West Van in 1953 with his wife Marion Fleming. He had ended his service with the Canadian Air Force, seriously wounding his leg in Sicily, and was pursing his love of art. As a young boy, he watched his father paint watercolour landscapes. When Smith, his brother and his mother moved to Winnipeg, he enrolled in the Winnipeg School of Art. In 1946, Smith graduated from the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»School of Art, eventually teaching graphics and design there.
Today, Smiths work can be found in more than 50 collections around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
This is your last chance to see his Entanglements: Works on Canvas from 1952 - 2012 at the . The collection of Gordon Smith paintings runs until October 20. EquinoxGallery.com.
This article by Rebecca Aldous first appeared in the North Shore Outlook.
