East meets West

East Meets West
A solo Exhibition of paintings by Charles Spratt
Leon Frazer & Associates
Suite 800, 26 Wellington St. West, Toronto
November 11th 2016 to March 31st, 2017
 
Nearly half of the 22 paintings in the East Meets West exhibition in Toronto are from an extended trip to Victoria and the West Coast of British Columbia this past winter. The rest are from painting trips to Eastern Ontario and the Eastern Townships of Quebec this year.

For an artist, the West Coast has a great deal to offer. On an extended visit to Victoria last winter I met many wonderful artists who introduced me to the marvelous painting opportunities there. Some of the artists have lived on the West Coast all their lives, others have roots in many parts of Canada – on numerous occasions I listened to a familiar story:  they came for a visit, fell in love with the Island and stayed.

The rugged coastlines, mile-high Douglas firs, wilderness mountain terrain and magnificent eagles soaring above are mesmerizing. The Victoria area alone presents plentiful painting opportunities. Owing to the moderate temperatures and abundant rainfall, there are many parks and wonderful gardens throughout the city. The downtown core offers numerous painting possibilities with its colourful Chinatown district, marinas and sailing clubs and boardwalks. Traveling up island by vehicle, seaplane or boat, offers many towns, villages, harbours, rain forests and remote islands to explore, with scenes recorded by artists Emily Carr, Robert Bateman, Toni Onley, Robert Genn and others.

I found I was immediately drawn to the rugged West Coast landscape and the many serious painters there. And I know that my West Coast paintings reflect the infectious raw energy that I experienced from just being there. I had artists calling about new places to see and paint. “If you don’t like the weather in Victoria” I heard “wait a minute”. We painted in the lea of a cliff with thundering waves crashing onshore, we took shelter from storms and then painted the incredible clearing skies and we stood in awe of the magnificent Douglas firs and the pervasive vivid green moss.

It is obvious that I would love to return to this wonderful island one day, as would my wife. Our memories will remain forever.

Charlie Spratt
November, 2016