Emily CarrEmily Carr1871-19451871-1945

The story of a remarkable The story of a remarkable Canadian ArtistCanadian Artist

from British Columbiafrom British ColumbiaCreated by Mrs. R.M. Anderson

Why was she famous?Why was she famous?

• Had many jobs when most women did not work outside the home

•Painter

•Painted remote Native Villages

•Influenced by the Group of 7

•A very strange lifestyle

Author

A long time ago Emily grew up in A long time ago Emily grew up in Vancouver.Vancouver.

• Our street was called Carr Street after my Father. We had a very nice house and a lovely garden... Carr Street was a very fine street. The dirt road waved up and down and in and out. the horses made it that way, zigzagging the carts and carriages through it. The rest of the street was green grass and wild roses. There was a grand, wide open ditch with high grass by the sides. The cows licked in great mouthfuls to chew as they walked up and down to the pasture land at the end of Carr Street down by the beach. In front of our place Father had made a gravel walk but after our trees stopped there were just two planks to walk on."

• --The Book of Small By Emily Carr

1871 -- Born December 13, Victoria, B.C.

Emily had 4 sisters.Emily had 4 sisters.

They were bossy older sisters!Read about Emily’s Life in the book “Emily” by Susan Gaitskell

Emily learns to draw Emily learns to draw

• “ I wanted to draw a dog. I sat beside Carlow's kennel and stared at him for a long time. Then I took a charred stick from the grate, split open a large brown-paper sack and drew a dog on the sack.

My married sister who had taken drawing lessons looked at my dog and said, "Not bad." Father spread the drawing on top of his newspaper, put on his spectacles, looked, said, "Um!" Mother said, "You are blacked with charred wood, wash!" The paper sack was found years later among Father's papers. He had written on it, "By Emily, aged eight".

1880 -- First drawing lessons.

As a young Lady Emily went to Art As a young Lady Emily went to Art SchoolSchool

1886 -- Death of Emily's mother. 1888 -- Death of Emily's father.

1890 -- Studying art in San Francisco.

Emily had many different jobs.Emily had many different jobs.

•

1893 -- Teaches children's art classes.

1905 -- Cartoonist for The Week. Teaching in Victoria.

Why didn’t Emily get married like most young ladies did then?

She liked to paint the woods of B.C.She liked to paint the woods of B.C.

Title: Wood Interior

Date: 1909

Medium: Watercolour

Emily learned about the French Emily learned about the French ImpressionistsImpressionists

Title: French Lace Makers (Women of Brittany

Date: 1911Medium: Watercolour and Pencil

1910 -- Studying in France.

She visited remote Native VillagesShe visited remote Native Villagesall by herself.all by herself.

1898 -- First trip to Ucluelet (Indian Reserve, west side of Vancouver Island).

1912 -- Six-week trip to Indian villages.

Title: House Front-Gold HarbourDate:1912

Title: Skidegate

Date: 1912

Medium: Oil

The natives call her “Klee Wyck” The natives call her “Klee Wyck” which means “the one who laughs”which means “the one who laughs”

• Title: Big Raven• Date: 1931• Medium: Oil

But Emily was worried that all the native art was fast disappearing.

She tried to record it all.

She ran a strange boarding houseShe ran a strange boarding houseand had to work hard to make a and had to work hard to make a

living.living.

1913 -- Return to Victoria: Hill House (House of All Sorts) established.

Her messy studio

She has all sorts of animals She has all sorts of animals including a pet monkey.including a pet monkey.

A painting of Woo

She liked to push them around in a baby buggy!

Emily really wanted to be an artistEmily really wanted to be an artist

Date: c. 1925

Medium: Oil

She lived in a caravan and went She lived in a caravan and went painting in the woods.painting in the woods.

Shocking for a lady of those times!

She was worried about what was She was worried about what was happening to the forests.happening to the forests.

Title: Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky

Date: 1935

Medium: Oil

Her forests are colourful.Her forests are colourful.

Her skies seem to move!Her skies seem to move!

Title: Above the Gravel Pit

Date: 1937 Medium: Oil

TitleTitle: Abstract Tree Forms: Abstract Tree FormsDateDate: 1932 : 1932 MediumMedium: Oil : Oil

LocationLocation: Vancouver Art Gallery: Vancouver Art Gallery

Emily even painted some wild abstract paintings.

Emily became a famous authorEmily became a famous author

1940 Major stroke. Broadcast of Klee Wyck stories on CBC Radio

1941 -- Publication of Klee Wyck.

1942 – Last sketching trip: serious heart attack. Publication of The Book of Small.

Emily met the famous Group of 7Emily met the famous Group of 7Canadian Landscape artistsCanadian Landscape artists

•1927 -- Travels to eastern Canada and meets Group of Seven.

J.E.H. MacDonald 1873-1932Algoma Waterfall, 1920 She becomes good friends with them

And they encourage her.

Finally people started to like her artFinally people started to like her art

1937 -- First heart attack. Very successful solo exhibition at Art Gallery of Ontario. 1938 -- Very successful solo exhibition at Vancouver Art Gallery.

Emily’s work sells for millions of dollars now!

Emily dies a famous Canadian Emily dies a famous Canadian Author and ArtistAuthor and Artist

1944 -- Publication of The House of All Sorts. 1945 -- Emily's fatal heart attack, March 2.

Do you know why she is famous?

ResourcesResources• Emily Carr At Home and At Workhttp:/// www.sbtc.gov.bc.ca/culture/schoolnet/carr

Paintings in Museums and Art Galleries:

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Virtual Museum of Canada

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia

Art Gallery of Hamilton, OntarioSunshine and Tumult

Art Gallery of Nova ScotiaDeep in the Woods

Art Gallery of OntarioGuyasdoms D'Sonoqua, 1928-30Indian Church, 1929

Art Gallery of OntarioRed Tree, C.1938

McMichael Canadian Art Collection, OntarioOld Tree at Dusk, C.1936The Mountain, C.1933Edge of the Forest, C.1935

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, QuebecIndian War Canoe, 1912

University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, AlbertaUntitled (Cemetery In France), C.1911-12

Virtual Museum of CanadaTree Movement