English-born artist and renowned printmaker Sybil Andrews studied at Heatherley’s School of Fine Art and the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London. It was at ‘The Grosvenor’ that Andrews developed a keen interest in the medium of coloured linocuts. Although she had experimented in other mediums – such as etchings, paintings, and monotypes, linocutting was prized for its simple tools and materials, making it economical and particularly appealing to the young artist’s modest budget. From 1929 to 1938, she created a number of linocuts depicting agricultural life and sporting themes in England at the time. Preferred subjects were horse racing and jumping, hunting and rowing crews, and speedway riders; in depicting these activities, Andrews was able to convey the exhilaration, speed and thrill of action. She created animated compositions that captured movement in all forms – human, animal, and mechanical.
With five horseback riders leaping in tandem during a foxhunting chase, “In Full Cry” showcases the artist’s preferred equestrian subject in conjunction with her interest in portraying action and speed. Andrews was influenced by the prevailing art movements of her time, predominantly Vorticism and Futurism, in both their emphasis on speed as well as cubist-inspired formal qualities.
With the beginning of World War II, Andrews returned to work as a welder for the British Power Company constructing warships. While employed there, she met a man named Walter Morgan, whom she married in 1943. The end of the war brought a major change in the couple’s lives as they decided to leave Britain to settle in Campbell River, British Columbia in 1947. Shortly thereafter, Andrews was elected to the Society of Canadian Painters, Etchers and Engravers in 1951.
