lector than it is now. Back then, you would try to get those “yard sale finds”. You had to really dig through antique stores and I wouldn’t pay more than $100 for a piece. Nowa- days, there are online auctions so there is definitely more competition for each piece. I have shifted my at- tention more to the artist than the subject matter of a painting.
their stories intertwine, so it’s quite manageable. I think too, their work appeals to me because it so familiar. It was painted in my backyard. Q. You have mentioned the phrase “losing yourself in honest contem- plation” of paintings. What does that look like for you? Is it an ap- preciation of technique, of colour, of subject matter? A. Well, it is an appreciation of all of those things. I find that the ini- tial impact is the most important or most impressive thing about a piece. I love to stare at a painting and mar- vel at how the artist can accomplish that impact with such simple tech- niques and strokes. This is also not unique to just me. I read an article about the director of the Frick Gal- lery in Manhattan. He said that he
Dr. Robert Hevenor’s first art purchase, Hay Stooks in a Field c. 1925 by Lila McGillvray-Knowles, WAAC
Q. Have you ever thought of diver- sifying beyond Canadian artists? How much of a factor is patriotism in your love of art? A. I have never diversified beyond Canadian art. If we, as Canadi- ans, aren’t interested in Canadian art, then who else will be? Another reason that I have collected only Canadian art is that I don’t have a background in art history. All of my knowledge is through self-study. The art world is huge and spans cen- turies. Canada’s art world is quite small in comparison, so I’ve found it easier to understand and learn. There are only a couple hundred well-known Canadian artists and
(Right Top) Clearing Weather by Franz Johnston (Group of Seven), ARCA, OSA, CSPWC
(Right Middle) Haliburton Landscape by Herbert Sidney Palmer, RCA, OSA
(Right Bottom) Clarke’s Sign, Aylmer, Ontario c. 2006 by Cathy Groulx, OSA
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