Black Bear by James Lumbers

Born in Toronto, Ontario, he studied at the Ontario College of Art and graduated in 1950. He entered the field of commercial art and won two awards for design in 1968 for package design. His animal paintings have been exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum (1969); the Federation of Naturalists Convention at Niagara Falls (1970) and his painting “The Indian Guide” was shown at the Ontario Society of Artists exhibit at the McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa (1970).

He has done a series of paintings, in tempera of the Indian today. A few of the titles are, “Abraham” (Keeper of Pikangikum Lake); “Burton Jacobs” (Chief of Walpole Island); “Indian Sunset” (Fort Severn Indian). He has done many other works in pen and ink, charcoal, pastels, oils, and acrylics. A keen boater, he has made trips to Algonquin Park and Timagami; Hudson Bay and the northern tundra on photography research trips. He married Grace Richardson in 1953 and they have one son. They live in Thornhill, Ontario.

Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume II”, compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1979