The tutelage of A.Y. Jackson can be seen throughout the artistic career of Frederick Grant Banting. Banting oscillated between light, fresh and rich earthy palettes with his most successful works, incorporating these tones in dynamic - yet balanced - compositions. “Island Landscape” references the lyrical jack pines swaying in the winds of Georgian Bay‚ a favourite location for fellow painting companion, A.Y. Jackson. The rich bands of ochre, emerald and rust are offset by the soft strokes of light blues, chartreuse and creams filling the panel with complementary tonal harmony. The work captures the change of season as the last standing trees with their lush green foliage dot the background forest line in fiery oranges and yellows. At the centre of the composition, the quintessential Canadian jack pines, with their signature sparse branch patterns, stand in prominence - their emerald green bushels of soft needles bending gently in the wind.
