Born in Durham, Ontario, he graduated from the University of Western Ontario with his Bachelor of Arts in 1928. He became interested in art during his school years and studied with Eva Bradshaw at the Beal Technical School, London, Ontario; at the Art Students' League. On his return to Canada he worked as a commercial artist for ten years before devoting most of his time to fine art.
He travelled to England and Scotland in 1922 through the auspices of Canadian Authors' Association in recognition for his illustrations for the book “Life in Japan”. He has done landscapes in Northern Ontario, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New England, and in the Canadian West. He has also done harbour subjects in France and England. A figure and portrait painter as well, he has completed many portraits of educationalists of which the following are only a few: Dr. Walter Sage, University of British Columbia, and his father Dr. G.B. Sag.e; Bishop Maurice Scolland Baldwin; Dr. H.R. Kingston, dean of arts and science and principal of University College, University of Western Ontario; The Rt. Reverend C.A. Seager, Bishop and one time Provost of Trinity College, University of Toronto; Dr. Sherwood Fox former president, University of Western Ontario; Mr. John Gilchrist, former Principal of Blenheim District High School.
Clare Bice is author-illustrator of the following children's books: “Jory's Cove”, 1941; “Across Canada”, 1948 (also a Norwegian Edition in 1960); “The Great Island”, 1954; “A Dog for Davies Hill”, 1957 (Swedish Edition, 1964) (Special Edition, 1958); “The Hurricane Treasure”, 1965. He has illustrated many children;s books published in Canada and the United States. He toured Canada to gather authentic scenes, characters, and dialogues for his book “Across Canada” and he has travelled to Newfoundland to collect material for hi book “The Great Island” during which he also made sketches of that country.
From 1940, he had been Curator at the Art Gallery and Museum of London, Ontario, excepting his service with the Canadian Army during the Second World War, 1942-45. He received a fellowship in 1953-4 to travel in France and to become more fully acquainted with art galleries and museums of Europe. He was awarded a Canada Council Senior Arts Fellowship 1962-3. He organized a showing of three views on painting in Canada, ten canvases dedicated to traditional or realistic art by members of Painters Eleven and eleven canvases made up of points of view between these two extremes. He made the following statement in connection with the show in “Canadian Art”, “It is time reason and maturity were substituted for issues and prejudices and international fashion in our evolution of Canadian art.”
He has given talks to many groups and judges numerous exhibitions. He taught at the following centres: Doon School of Art, Summer Schools at Queen's University, Mount Allison University of Western Ontario. He has written several articles for “Canadian Art” magazine. He is a member os the Ontario Society of Artists, Royal Canadian Academy (ARCA 1940) (RCA 1964); Hon. L.L.D. University of Western Ontario, 1962.
Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume I: A-F", compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1977
