I'll include links below to Part 1 and Part 2 if you'd like to read the history from the beginning. 

The Cost of Fulfilling a Mandate 
Dateline: Fall 1954
"If we believe that through the arts a people has its vision clarified and its life given point and meaning over and above the economic, political and material concerns... then all the artists and interested laymen in the country should not only be willing, but should be anxious to join a country-wide inclusive organization to further the function of art in life." - Lawren Harris11

In the Federation of Canadian Artists' first decade, enthusiasm had continued to build across Canada as each region formed new branches and membership continued to grow rapidly. National Conferences, held every second year, provided knowledge and inspiration to artists of all persuasions - bolstered by the personal visions of national presidents, André Biéler, Lawren Harris, Albert Gillson and Hunter Lewis.

If the greatest achievement of the Federation was ultimately its' influence on the Canada Council for the Arts, the FCA owed a great debt to Hunter Lewis, chair and principal writer of their 1949 national brief to the Royal Commission on National Development of Arts, Letters, and Sciences (best known as the "Massey Commission"). Professor Lewis was an erudite man, and one who really got caught up in causes.

Normally, Lewis' two-year presidency would have ended in October, 1951 - the same year that the Massey Commission tabled their report - except it was consensus that he would be just the right person to lead members to greater heights when the Federal Government acted on the Commission's recommendations.

In lieu of a National Conference and FCA elections, a long projected tour of local branches across the country was planned for Lewis, during which he would personally share his vision for the Federation and Canada. Unfortunately, the man became seriously ill just before the tour was to begin and failed to recover sufficiently to ever resume the plan.

The FCA had, in achieving its early ambitions, outgrown its machinery and hence its financial structure. Having previously gone to considerable pain to keep its financial difficulties to itself, the National Executive finally laid out its woes in a letter to its members.12 The outstanding debt of having widely distributed copies of their national brief was formidable. Ongoing costs of serving and supporting members, including the FCA's share of producing the magazine Canadian Art, had risen sharply. From 1950 no fees were even available to honour the FCA's commitment to the Canadian Arts Council.

The National Executive concluded that on all levels the Federation was starving itself for lack of funds. In setting its sights for fulfilling all its responsibilities, it needed more money at its disposal. Membership totaled 856 (over 500 of these were visual artists), hence the decision to refocus FCA activities solely to the visual arts. In addition to securing loans from wealthier members, membership fees were increased.

Still expecting an early Federal Government announcement which, disappointingly, failed to come until 1957, plans to hold the next National Conference were delayed. Lewis stepped down as National President. In October 1952, following the tradition of electing officers alternately from Western and Eastern Canada, the National Executive chose Gordon Couling from Guelph, Ontario as Lewis' successor.

A view of the importance that the FCA should hold in the fabric of Canadian cultural life was not always clear to individual members. Shortcomings and frustrations intruded. Rumblings were heard that Couling had not officially consented to be nominated. Boxes of files and financial records transferred from Vancouver to Guelph mysteriously disappeared, bills were unpaid, and for several months all communication came to a deadly halt.

Reports from Manitoba to Quebec and Ontario to the Maritimes, indicated the Federation had gone into a slump. Former members in Regina simply transferred their allegiance in bulk from the FCA to their local Art Centre Association, and Saskatoon members turned to the artist-run centre they had established in the early '40s.

Lawren Harris' stirring call was no longer heard. It seemed that the Federation of Canadian Artists had become just another Canadian art association based on the friendship and camaraderie of like-minded amateurs who enjoyed painting, sculpting and showing their work together. Interest waned across the country and there seemed to be nothing anyone could do about it.

Following two years of serious neglect, a new National Executive headed by Professor Henry Glyde from Alberta felt its responsibility very strongly. They tried in every way to serve and support the members on a national basis, hoping to foster a new maturity of art in Canada. But the spontaneous national recovery hoped for didn't happen.

About 1963, a committee of Hunter Lewis, H.G. Glyde, Jack Shadbolt, Alison Palmer and Nancy Bakewell (all from BC and Alberta) was formed to "give information and possibly financial assistance to any new regions which might wish to create branches in smaller towns away from the already well-organized art centres." Five years later the committee was wound down.13

Down in the '60s, but not dead, pockets of FCA members met to organize and sponsor annual exhibits of paintings, sculpture and graphics, followed by the odd traveling show. Workshops were presented, along with painting demonstrations; taped lectures and slides were distributed. Camaraderie continued through painting trips and social events. In the West, some groups flourished.

One of the greatest success stories during that period was Painting in the Park, the FCA's imaginative summer education program for young artists (...no undraped human forms, please...) With financial help from both the City and the Province, the first sessions, organized in Stanley Park, became so popular that they quickly spread to other parks throughout the City - and then throughout BC and beyond. Ninety-two youngsters had registered in 1952, 1500 in 1965. This program's pattern has been borrowed and is still used in widely dispersed areas around the world.14

Slowly within the next decade, a group of new faces would once again pick up the reins and provide inspiring leadership - leading to the rebirth of a Federation.
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10 Various facts excerpted from the Canada Council of the Arts website, 2004
11 Federation of Canadian Artists letter to Branch Members and Affiliations, ca. Fall 1954, based on one of the philosophic objectives cited by Lawren Harris in an earlier FCA Membership Brochure.
12 President Hunter Lewis' letter to the FCA Executive and Members of Regional and local Branches, Dec 20, 1950.
13 Letter from A M Bakewell to Prof. H.G. Glyde dated May 6th, 1968. 14 "Park Painting Fundamental - Trees, People, Orange Subs," by Clive Cocking, Vancouver Sun, June 30, 1965.

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In my own work it is clear that doing my work is essential.  This may sound like a simple statement.  Let me explain.  Running a fine art business has many different responsibilities.  Sales, promotion, blog writing, gathering new source material, picking up supplies, conversing and encouraging other artists, and painting, to name just a few. 

At the core, it is necessary that I paint.  Without the paintings I really have no business.  So setting priorities to work on the top priorities  first, then reaching out to other activities has been essential.  

Much like the Federation, in the West, anyway, regrouping to start the Art in the Park program is the same.  I see parallels that are very encouraging. 

Have you encountered the artists in Stanley Park? I sure have.  I fondly recall being in the park as a kid, and really enjoying the artists who were set up there. 

I love the memory and it makes me proud to realize that I'm part of this art community.  

If you would like to see the art that I'm producing, I'll invite you to join my email list.  I regularly keep patrons abreast of my new work through my email list.  

Over the past year I have been submitting and showing with The Federation of Canadian Artists.  While I knew they were a well respected Gallery, I really didn't know much else about them.  On their website they have this lovely article, which talks about their history.  In my previous blog post I shared chapter 1.  If you have not read it, then I encourage you to go back and take a look at that article. 

__Chapter Two: The FCA and the Canada Council
Dateline, Dec 20, 1950:
"If the Federation had done nothing else, the action which it took in 1949, in connection with the hearings of the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences, was more than sufficient both to justify its existence, and to establish it as the most influential cultural body in Canada".6 Hunter Lewis, National President

With the war over, veterans returned to their families, sought new jobs or finished school and manufacturers turned from making bombs and military equipment to refrigerators and cars. After years of being head of household, women sought new roles that included some of the activities were accustomed to performing in additional to housework and raising their families. War-brides settled in Canada, along with immigrants who had fled war-torn countries for a better life. The new normalcy was under way.

During the first decade following the Federation of Canadian Artists' founding in 1941 the whole art and cultural life of Canada had been transformed. Activity surrounding the arts had increased enormously and geographically extended to all kinds of communities, in all parts of Canada.

As FCA President Hunter Lewis said, "It would be absurd to claim the credit for all these changes and all this growth for the FCA."7 It would be even more absurd, however, to ignore the very great influence the
​Federation had exerted in achieving them. The FCA was one of, if not the very first, national organization to be established in the field of the visual arts which continued to work for the general cultural objectives it adopted.

Apart from forming its own branches, the FCA had provided the stimulus and the model for the formation of many local and provincial organizations. It was largely influential in the creating of the "Canadian Arts Council" of which it was a member (not to be confused with the "Canada Council For the Arts" established by the Federal Government in 1957). It sponsored the only national art magazine of the day, Canadian Art. The Federation was linked with other art organizations in other countries through its membership in the Canadian Council for Reconstruction, through UNESCO and other international organizations. It assembled and sponsored local, regional and national exhibitions. It integrated painting and the other arts in Canada...and it kept art constantly in the news and thus in the minds of the public.

In February of 1949, the Federal Government announced its intention to enact new long-awaited legislation with respect to cultural development in Canada. In April, the Privy Council appointment a Royal Commission on National Development of Arts, Letters, and Sciences (chaired by the Honorable Vincent Massey) - potentially the most important single event that had ever occurred in the cultural life of Canada. The FCA held its National Conference in Montréal that same month.

Following the announcement, the FCA resolved to revise and amplify their 1944 "Artists Brief" to this end. It's National Brief Committee (many of them university professors and most from BC - included Hunter Lewis [chair], Charles Scott, BC Binning, Gordon Couling, Donald Flather, Doris Hunt and Nancy Bakewell) took ideas from their earlier work about the setting aside of $10 million from which any community in Canada could be entitled to for assistance in the building of an art centre, with the communities and province contributing on an established pro rata basis.8 They also emphasized the need for a nation-wide extension to Canada's National Gallery.

The Massey Commission (as it popularly became known) held hearings across the country. FCA regions and their branches were urged to explore, discuss and submit points they particularly wished to present for consideration in their national brief. They were also encouraged to write to Ottawa in support of this action. The submission of this brief became the Federation's prime project and was publicized as such.

A sense of excitement aroused a nation of artists to participate. During the course of the Massey Commission's two-year inquiry, it received 462 briefs, hundreds of letters from Canadian citizens, and held 114 public hearings throughout Canada at which some twelve hundred witnesses appeared.9

The Federation's national brief (presented by Messrs. Lewis, Scott and Binning) became widely supported and had important educational effects upon the people and the Government of Canada. The Royal Commissioners were themselves gracious enough to admit the FCA was instrumental in producing the large number of submissions that made those hearing the most significant event that had yet occurred in Canada cultural life. Six years later, Parliament, through the Minister of Canadian Heritage, passed The Canada Council Act which resulted in a national arm's-length agency fostering the development of the arts in Canada through grants, services and awards for professional artists. It would also take over the Canadian Commission for UNESCO work. Initial funding for programs came from an endowment fund of $50 million. In 1957, the revenue related to arts activities equaled $2.7 million. (In 2002, the Government increased Council funding to $75 million).10

After its magnificent presentation to the Massey Commission, and communicating about art across the country became easier, the Federation of Canadian Artists began to phase itself out as a national body.

By the 1960s, the FCA barely existed on a national level but still carried on under that name. It was structured a bit differently in a few areas of Canada - including British Columbia where it was reported the association had about 600 members. We shall explore these changes in the next Chapter. 
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5) What Is The Federation of Canadian Artists, brochure, c.1945, published by the Federation of Canadian Artists. 
6) Excerpts from President Hunter Lewis' letter to the FCA Executive and Members of Regional and local Branches, Dec. 20 1950 found in the Hunter Lewis Family Fonds, UBC Library, Archives & Special Collections 7) Excerpts from President Hunter Lewis' letter to the FCA Executive and Members of Regional and local Branches, Dec. 20 1950 found in the Hunter Lewis Family Fonds, UBC Library, Archives & Special Collections
8) Excerpt reprinted from the Vancouver Daily Province, Feb 10, 1945 from a column by J. Delisle Parker headlined "Art For All - Federation of Canadian Artists, Looking Ahead, Would Draw Dominion Into One Great Cultural Venture - Dominion Government will be Invited to Set Aside $10,000,000 to assist communities to build art centres" 
9) Library & Archives Canada: Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences, 1949-1951.  
10) Various facts excerpted from the Canada Council of the Arts website, 2004

Now I've never been much of a history buff, given that I think I'm slightly dyslexic with numbers.  They never stick in my memory and often flip them around.  This was a frustrating characteristic in school and plagued me when it came time to memorize date and numbers.  However, I digress. 

What I am gleaning from this informative article is that some of these names I have heard, obviously the Massey Commission was something spoken about around our dinner table.  It's lovely to hear a bit more about how the Massey Commission was formed and what it was destined to do for Canada.  

I hope you are enjoying these articles as much as I am.  Do leave a comment if you have something you'd like interject.  Perhaps you have a memory of these key figures and times in Canadian history. 

When you have an abundance of ideas it's important to put them in some sort or order. 

Let me walk you through how I organize myself. 

Currently, I have 110 images that I would like to turn into paintings.  With each image I place it in a plastic sleeve protector, assign an inventory number and arranged them in order.

When I'm ready to choose new paintings I go to my big book of ideas and pick out some images.  Often I choose a theme, like a particular variety of flower, or by the size of canvas. I remove those sleeve protectors from the big book and place them in a smaller, working, binder. 

From the smaller binder of work I create a master list documenting the square inch size, the canvas size and the likely time it will take for me to paint that image.  Then I go to my calendar and block out the time using post it flags.  This really helps me see how many paintings I can get done during a week or a month. 

This is so helpful for a couple of reasons. 
1. I avoid the over scheduling that was happening before;
2. I stop my self criticism before it gets started.

Before getting organized I would look at what I had accomplished in the month and always feel like I should have done more.  Now with the estimated times to complete a painting I can see what is realistically possible.  For example, if I'm working 6 hours a day I can complete (1) 6 x 8 painting.  That's it.  

My self criticism would have me believe that I could get more paintings completed in that time.  Not possible.  

This might seem like a lot of work and this nerdy artist loves this part.  Getting organized feels so grounding. 

The other problem I have is that I've collected almost 60 canvases for these paintings.  Where do you store them so you aren't tripping all over them?  

You store them in your new canvas storage rack on wheels, of course. My husband helped me put this together a couple of weekends ago.  Oh my gosh! I was so happy.  I think I cried.  

As you can see I have various sized all lined up in their cubbies.  I can find the sized easily and they are not getting damaged.  So happy.  

This is what the nuts and bolts of getting organized looks like for me.  It feels amazing to have this all in place.  

Now I can relax, check my calendar, see the painting that is scheduled, and get down to business.  Prior to all this organizing I wasted a lot of time fiddling around, trying to figure out what comes next. 

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of my organizing system. 

If you'd like to see more of what I'm doing, join my email list. 

Up until Now.. The journey from beginner to full time art career.

I'm so excited to reveal that I have published a lovely little book documenting my journey from the beginning.  

I know there are other artists out there who are up against the self-doubt and worry that I have been up against in the past.  What I have learned along the way I suspect is going to be really valuable for others.  

This 20 page book is filled with my art, stories, champions, and inspiration.  

If you would like more information you can click the link below.  

Click here.

Beginning can be so challenging.  Have you even noticed when you start something new, challenge yourself, that your negative/judgemental self comes along with you.  

I know why this is... we don't have enough evidence to combat the negative chatter. 

Unfortunately, the only way to gather evidence is to keep practicing.  To build up a body of attempts that you can compare or maybe not compare but rather take pride in the number of times you have shown up to try. 

The one thing I know for sure is that the self doubting part of us is not something that is going to go away.  However, when we practice we relax into the tangible evidence that we have collected.

There is a real sense of accomplishment and pride.  Whatever you are showing up for.  I used to love running because if you ran a 5 km race that is hard evidence of what you have accomplished.  It's undeniable proof.  Painting, for me, is the same thing.  

When I look around my colourful studio, while doubt is sitting with me at the easel, I have all the proof to contradict what doubt is wanting me to believe. 

What are you showing up for consistently?  Do you feel a sense of pride for that commitment?  Perhaps you haven't considered that, up until now. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Leave me a comment below. 

Better yet, join my V.I.P. email list and I'll give you early access and sneak peeks at what I'm working on. 

​Here's the link to do that.  

As many creatives can attest, the journey to their art practice is often not linear.  In fact, many, including myself, have been faced with negativity, harsh criticism, critiques that were not helpful and yet there was still the desire to continue. 

Where does that come from? 

God/Spirit/Divine/Universe.... I don't really know.  All I know is that when I don't make room for my creativity I am not well.  and I mean that quite literally.  I am not myself if I am not following my inspiration and creative urges. 

Not to self: Your creativity is non-negotiable. 

Part of my journey has certainly been filled with desire and push back while other aspects have included comparison to other and others comparing to me.  All these situations have slowed me down or stopped me from creating. 

Inevitably I come to my senses and return to my creativity.  I've been blessed to have a couple of mentors who saw potential and believed in me when I wasn't able to do that for myself. 

In reflecting on my journey, I suspect that I could possibly be that mentor for someone else.  To believe in another creative enough that are willing to start creating again, or start period. 

One of the ways I intend to do that is with my first art compilation.  It's a small book sharing some stories, images and inspiration.  

This is the editing copy and will be available for purchase very shortly. 

Leave a comment and share some of your creative successes or detours. 

In the 1600's tulips were said to cost 10 times a working man's salary in the Netherlands, making them more costly than some houses.  

Very interesting. 

I went digging a bit further to find that tulips did not originate in the Netherlands even though they are the largest producer of tulips.  

The tulip originated in Persia and Turkey and were likely transported to the Netherlands during early trade relations.  The tulip played an important role in the culture and art of Turkey and Persia, including being worn tucked into the turbans. And the name tulip derives from the Persia word for turban. 

Once back in the Netherlands, tulip frenzy hit, crashing markets in the 17th Century.  

There are over 150 species of tulips with over 3,000 different varieties. Here are a few. 

I'm finishing up my current series which focuses entirely on tulips.  If you would like to be notified when the collection is released, then leave me your contact details by clicking on the link below.  You will be added to my V.I.P. email list and your will receive sneak peaks and early bird access to new works. Click here to join the V.I.P. List. 

Here's a sneak peak and teaser.