Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

UNTITLED (OLDMAN RIVER VALLEY)

Date

1960

Materials

OIL, BOARD, WOOD

No. Pieces

1

Height

51

Length

61

Width

6

Description

OIL ON BOARD PAINTING DEPICTING A RIVER VALLEY SCENE WITH COULEES IN BROWNS, YELLOWS AND GREENS. SKY IS CLOUDY AND BUILDINGS ARE VISIBLE ALONG THE HORIZON LINE AT THE FAR RIGHT OF THE IMAGE. PAINTING IS SIGNED AT BOTTOM RIGHT WITH STYLIZED INITIALS “P. J. C.” AND DATED “’60”. FRAME IS BEVELLED WOOD WITH TRANSLUCENT WHITE STAIN. BOARD IS HELD IN PLACE AT BACK OF FRAME WITH METAL NAILS, AND A WIRE HANGER IS AFFIXED HORIZONTALLY. BOTH PAINTING AND FRAME ARE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

THIS PAINTING BELONGED TO THE PARENTS OF THE DONOR, VALERIE ARKINSTALL. HER FATHER, CHARLES ALLAN ARKINSTALL, WAS A COUSIN TO THE ARTIST, P.J. COLLINS, ON HIS MOTHER’S SIDE (MARJORIE ARKINSTALL, NEE COLLINS). THE WORK WAS DISPLAYED IN A PLACE OF HONOUR IN THE LIVING ROOM OF HER CHILDHOOD HOME, ALONG WITH TWO OTHER COLLINS PAINTINGS THAT WERE DONATED TO THE GALT IN 2012 (P20120016001 AND P20120016002). THE ARTIST, PHILIP JEROME COLLINS, WAS BORN NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND ON AUGUST 14, 1884. HE WAS THE SON OF CHARLES JEROME COLLINS, WHO WAS ALSO AN ARTIST. THERE WERE TEN CHILDREN IN COLLINS FAMILY, NINE BOYS AND ONE GIRL. COLLINS IMMIGRATED WITH HIS BROTHER TO CANADA IN 1911 AT THE AGE OF 27. HE WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER FOR 30 YEARS, BEGINNING HIS CAREER IN 1919 IN RURAL SCHOOLS, AND LATER TEACHING AT CENTRAL WESTMINSTER SCHOOLS. COLLINS WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB ALONG WITH ARTIST ANNABELLE MCKENZIE, DORA TREW AND JESSIE URSENBACH. COLLINS ATTENDED THE FIRST SKETCH CLUB MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON OCTOBER 7, 1932, AT THE HOME OF MCKENZIE, AND WAS APPOINTED SECRETARY OF THE CLUB. UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM TEACHING IN JUNE 1949, HE BEGAN PRODUCING PAINTINGS AT THE RATE OF 8 TO 10 PER A YEAR. HIS MEDIUM OF CHOICE WAS OIL ON MASONITE. IN 1966 HE HAD A ONE MAN SHOW AT BOWMAN ARTS CENTRE. COLLINS PASSED AWAY IN 1975. THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB HELD THEIR FIRST MEETING AT THE HOME OF MISS ANNA MACKENZIE ON OCTOBER 7, 1936. EDITH FANNY KIRK WAS THE FIRST ART TEACHER IN LETHBRIDGE. SHE CAME FROM BRITAIN WITH CLASSICAL TRAINING AND IT WAS KIRK WHO SET THE STAGE FOR THE SKETCH CLUB TO COME INTO BEING. THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THE FORMATION BY PROVIDING RECOGNITION OF ARTISTIC MERIT THROUGH DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS. ANNA MACKENZIE AND P.J. COLLINS CONCEIVED OF THE CLUB AFTER THEIR EXPERIENCE IN BANFF. THE GROUP WAS FORMED OUT OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC INTEREST IN ART AND SOON AFTER THE GROUP BEGAN MEETING, THERE WERE REGULAR EXHIBITIONS. THE GROUP WAS PRIVY TO THE ATTENTION OF GROUP OF SEVEN ARTIST A.Y.JACKSON WHEN HE MADE HIS FREQUENT SKETCHING TRIPS TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA. HE REGULARLY ACCOMPANIED THE SKETCH CLUB AND HIS INFLUENCE CAN BE SEEN IN MUCH OF THEIR WORK. ANOTHER GUEST OF THE GROUP WAS ANNORA BROWN WHO WAS AN ARTIST WHO HAD TRAINED IN TORONTO, BUT RESIDED IN FORT MACLEOD AND BEGAN SPENDING TIME WITH THE GROUP IN 1939. HER INTEREST IN FLOWER STUDIES IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE INSPIRED MANY OF THE WORKS BY CLUB MEMBERS. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, THE GROUP ORGANIZED SUMMER CLASSES TAUGHT BY OUT OF TOWN ARTISTS SUCH AS: H.G.GLYDE, WALTER J. PHILIPS AND A.C. LEIGHTON. ACCORDING TO A HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB WRITTEN BY JOAN STEBBINS IN JUNE, 1985, “THE PAINTINGS OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB PORTRAY FAVOURITE SKETCHING AREAS IN THE REGION – THE COULEES PROVIDED ENDLESS MATERIAL, THE RIVERBOTTOM, THE OLD R.C.M.P. BARRACKS, THE WHITNEY FARM, HENDERSON LAKE, THE FELGER HUTTERITE COLONY, THE FOOTHILLS AND WATERTON LAKE WERE OFTEN REPEATED SUBJECTS.” FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20140010000

Acquisition Date

2014-04

Collection

Museum

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