Canadian Art
Canada is a gorgeous country, with vast oceans and lakes, towering mountains, lush rainforests, sprawling plains and clean, modern cities. These elements have inspired this counties artists throughout Canada's short history, making Canadian art a feast for the eyes. The art scene is alive and kicking in all areas of Canada, from its most busy cities to the most remote backwoods.

Native Art plays a huge role in Canadian Culture. This traditional form of carvings and paintings became popular in mainstream culture in the 1960's, and has been growing ever since. These bold and striking works are popular in many different mediums, including carved wood masks, totems, jewelry, and paintings.

One of this country's most well known artists is Emily Carr (www.emilycarr.com), a Victoria, BC-born painter. Born in 1871, she grew up on Vancouver Island and studied in San Francisco, France and London. Her paintings are now famous the world over, with their striking colors and subject matter. Many depict the forests of BC, and she was fond of traveling to remote, isolated native villages to paint their people, homes and totems. Carr has also become known for her writings, mostly autobiographical, which provide insight into this astounding woman.

The Group of Seven are a widely admired group of Canadian artists. The group was made up of Franklin Carmichael, A.J. Casson, Lional Fitzgerald, Lawren Harris, Edwin Holgate, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald and F.H. Varley. These wilderness-landscape painters painted mainly in the Post -Impressionist style, and were greatly influenced by the work of Tom Thompson, a painter who mysteriously died in 1917 in Ontario's Algonquin Park. This groups brilliant work has inspired countless artists, most notably that of Emily Carr, who's own paintings show many resemblances to the Group of Seven's.

Contemporary Canadian art is a melting-pot of work inspired by different art worldwide, as well as Canada's changing artistic and social world. Many Canadian museums and art galleries host a multitude of Contemporary works by both established and up-and-coming artists, all of which are worth seeing in order to get a better view of what Canada looks like through the eyes of its artists.