This piece was sketched from a CPR train window, January 1964, while the artist was enroute from Brandon to Winnipeg through the Carberry sandhills. It was a hazy morning when land and sky seemed to blend with sun showing through cloud in places. Steve Repa was employed by the Brandon Allied Arts Centre (1962-1964). He commuted to Winnipeg one day weekly to teach (1963-1964) (Bu Art Catalogue, 1983)
Dimensions
57 x 87 cm
Size Overall
72 x 102 cm
Medium
oil
Condition
some accretion in middle R area. Canvas fairly loose on the stretcher (June 1996)
There is an indent in the canvas in TL corner. Frame: mitre joints splitting in all corners. Chip in frame c. 17 cm from BL corner; abrasion of gild in some areas (1996)
Fred McGuinness is popularly known for his work as the prairie essayist for CBC Radio’s Morningside with Peter Gzowski, a position he held for 17 years. Many of McGuinness’ Morningside essays were autobiographical in nature. He often reported about life on Christmas Tree Farm, a section of land where he and his wife, Christine, built their dream home in the late 1970s. The couple planted a Christmas tree farm on the property and Christine maintained an extensive kitchen garden, while Fred tended honey bees. Life on the farm made its way into radiobroadcasts, Neighborly News columns, and the book "Letters from Section 17: A Collection of Morningside Essays" (Winnipeg: Great Plains Publishing, 1999).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows a landscape view from the McGuinness property, Christmas Tree Farm, Section 17.
View is south southwest from the driveway. Photograph primarily shows Clark Hall, although the Brandon College Building is visible. The photograph pre-dates the sidewalk in front of the building.