Woodland

Private Collection, Ontario

Margaret Gray, Margaret Rand and Lois Steen, “A.J. Casson”, Agincourt, Ontario, 1976, pages 5, 8, 27 & 50

As a young man, A.J. Casson started his career in advertising, where he met his soon-to-be mentor and long-time friend, Franklin Carmichael: “Frank and I hit it off well. He was tough, but he taught me how to paint. And he took me to the Arts & Letters Club where the whole Group of Seven used to meet every day at noon.” Indeed, this was the beginning of a relationship with the Group that Casson would continue to develop until he was invited to join them in 1926. While other members travelled all over Canada to paint, Casson dedicated himself to Ontario, stating “I love travelling, but I can’t paint in a strange place. So why run all over?” He would paint a single location over and over again at different times of day and in different seasons. This single mindedness resulted in an intimacy with his subject matter that is stunningly evident in “Woodland”. Casson paints an Ontario forest at the height of autumn, using his signature solid colours and a restricted palette. Of his bright and minimal colours, Casson said: “I’ve never liked using every colour of the rainbow. Before I start a canvas, I have definite colour scheme in mind... Lawren Harris and Carmichael always worked to a scheme too.” Casson’s juxtaposition of greens and oranges capture the natural beauty of Ontario woodlands just at the moment of a season’s change.