CURRENTLY FEATURING:
BIRD | CAMPBELL | CHARLESWORTH | CRANSTON
HARRIS | ILKU | LANGEVIN | MORGAN | SMITH
Our Historical Art collection includes artworks available for purchase from private collections. Currently the collection includes paintings from a range of respected Canadian Artists, all pieces are all available for purchase by contacting Adele Campbell Fine Art. Scroll below to view the full collection; all pieces are displayed in artist alphabetical order. Historical Art pieces can be viewed in the gallery on request.
Cameron bird
From an early age, nature and painting have always been Cameron Bird’s greatest passions. Inspired by the mountains and wildlife of British Columbia, Cameron began painting professionally at the young age of 17 and captured the excitement and vivacity of the wild on canvas. In 1989, Cameron met Canadian artist Keith C. Smith who became a great teacher and mentor. Keith always taught Cameron to simplify and make each brush stroke count. Prior to K.C. Smith’s passing in 2000, the artist wrote a letter to Cameron encouraging him to “Carry on where I have left off in this wonderful world of art and creation”.
'A COLD DAY IN MAYO'
By Cameron Bird, Oil on Panel, 10"x12", 2013
Many of Cam's paintings start out as plein air studies. He is greatly inspired by spending time in the wilderness and capturing vistas first hand. His winter cabin scenes, such as the piece featured, have a particular charm and recognition to them. This painting uses a combination palette of cool and warm colours which give it a striking quality; the snowy cabin against the rich sky. Mentored and heavily influenced by late artist Keith C Smith, Cam is known for his confident textured brush strokes and works predominantly in oil.
ken campbell
Today Ken Campbell is a full-time fine art painter working from Imagecraft Studio in Victoria, BC.
Ken's originals includes drawings, plein air paintings and studio works. A practitioner in oils and acrylic media, he adapts such techniques as "oils over acrylics", "metallic pigments painting" and Renaissance-style "underpainting & glazing". His style is based in realism with notes of impressionism and abstraction.
'URSES & SPAWNERS 2'
By Ken Campbell, Oil on Canvas, 16"x20", 2003
Ken is known for capturing remarkable moments and events through his paintings. In this painting we see 'urses', derived from the Latin meaning Bear, and 'spawners', female fish we see one of the natural world's most remarkable events, the salmon run. In this piece, Ken captures a fleeting moment between artist and bear in his classic soft brush style.
rod charlesworth
Born in Northern B.C., Rod moved to the Okanagan at a young age. The surrealists influenced his earliest paintings. He then discovered the works of the impressionist school and took a keen interest in experimenting with color and the physical qualities of paint. Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven have also had a profound influence on Rod's work. "Painting becomes tedious when the ultimate goal of the painter is to recreate the external world. I've always felt that the painting exists only within its own borders, which allows the curious mind of the artist to say: What if I did this..."
'AFTER A DECEMBER SNOWFALL'
By Rod Charlesworth, Oil on Canvas, 20"x24", 2007
For a winter scene, this painting has a warm and welcoming palette, and there are many charming qualities to be enjoyed. On closer inspection the hockey figures, snowman and background character show great attention to detail. This painting captures the festive excitement of a December
snowfall; familiar to so many.
'EARLY SNOW'
By Rod Charlesworth, Oil on Canvas, 10"x12", 2007
As an painter Rod's pieces have the ability to transport the viewer in to a scene or memory. This quaint scene, featuring a fenced church ground, depicts a couple, walking huddled, during the transitioning seasons. The hint of fall still in the trees and a final brightness in the sky, alongside Rod's classic textured snow. This painting is a great example of his brush stoke technique, influenced by artists such as Tom Thomson.
toller cranston (1949 - 2015)
Toller's innovative style and extraordinary duality as athlete and artist have captured the imagination and attention of enthusiasts around the world. Often described as "the skater of the century", he was also an avid artist for the greater part of his life. His development as a professional painter led to numerous one-man exhibitions in Europe and North America, and inclusion of his work in many prestigious collections. One aspect of Toller's unique view of art was his co-founding of the Canadian School of Mystic Symbolism, and his assembly of Canada's largest private symbolic painting collection.
'UNTITLED #91'
By Toller Cranston, Oil on Canvas, 48"x48"
Toller often described his paintings as an extension of his skating style; the shapes and forms on his canvas similar to those created on the ice during figure skating. Drawing from a vast cultural influence Toller's paintings depict imaginative spiritual characters in rich colours; deep blue, red and gold. This particular piece features the original heavily gilded frame and background. Toller made significant contributions to the artistic enrichment of Canadian culture for over five decades and is regarded as a Canadian Icon.
laura harris
A fourth generation Victorian, Laura’s roots run deep on Vancouver Island, BC. A graphic designer by trade, Laura needed an escape from work and found it in the creation of her paintings. Laura Harris started showing her paintings early in the new millennium. Her first show sold out, followed by critical acclaim and many more successful shows!
With strikingly bold deep colours and texture, each piece takes you on a journey that requires contemplation and offers discovery.
'LOVE TO GROW'
By Laura Harris, Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas, 36"x18", 2014
Described as 'beautifully imperfect' Laura's paintings speak to an inner voice often ignored. As a highly emotive painter Laura pours her passion and soul in to each one of her paintings. Often inspired by music, Laura's creations come to life in her charming Victoria based studio, with records playing and birds singing. Her florals have a freedom to them, with swift curving line and shape. This particular paintings features a gloss varnish which allows you to admire the detail and rich texture from many angles.
elena ilku
A Native of the Ukraine, Elena received her degree in Art History and Design from Lviv Academy. She started her career as a professional artist in 1985, and since then has been extensively travelling, working and exhibiting her work throughout Europe and North America. Elena currently lives and works in Vancouver, BC. Her work is the release of emotion, and a strangely captivating balance between abstraction and figuration.
'PINK PEARL'
By Elena Ilku, 30"x24", 2013
A classic female nude by Elena in a warm palette.
DAVID LANGEVIN
For David Langevin art has always been natural, automatic. After finishing his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree he spent several years perfecting his painting skills. Researching and studying painting materials and techniques and later obtaining a Masters Degree in Art Education. “I wanted to know that I could do anything with paint, achieve any effect.” One of David's favourite painting methods involves an elaborate technique using multiple layers of transparent and translucent paint, or “glazes” and “scrumbles”. This gives his paintings a dramatic sense of depth and inner life.
'ORANGE ADDICT'
By David Langevin, Acrylic on Gallery Canvas, 28"x10", 2009
David Langevin’s dramatic renditions of the Canadian wilderness and his bold ‘tree portraits’ have become hugely familiar amongst Canadian art collectors and admirers. His striking use of light and unique painting methods in this piece have created a captivating vision of the recognisable 'west coast tree' so prevalent in this area. Depicting trees year round in their various poses and stages of life, this particular piece has a warm rich palette of orange, gold and copper tones perfectly contrasted with the main subject, the tree.
ANGELA MORGAN
Angela Morgan’s work celebrates humanity through the use of colour, pattern, and line. Her human figures express the poses of life; the jubilation of dance, the contemplation of parenthood, the melancholy of summer’s end and days on the mountain. Colours fuse and meld to achieve gesture, transforming abstract images into living moments. As a well known Canadian artist, based in Fernie, BC, Angela enjoys nationwide recognition and her paintings grace many collections worldwide.
'STUDY: CHANGING THE PLOT'
By Angela Morgan, Oil on Gallery Canvas, 20"x16", 2011
Angela's paintings have the ability to resonate with many people, often reminding them of a family member, friend or treasured memory . Painting in oil on gallery canvas, Angela works with a fresh colourful palette, texture and movement throughout. Known for her distinct 'summery' and 'wintery' pieces this particular study depicts one of her ever popular women. Whimsical in their appearance, often sporting a fun outfit, she stands as the
main subject in this piece; her crimson dress pops against the yellow field.
KEITH C. SMITH (1924 - 2000)
Always drawn to nature, Keith explored the Rockies and Coast Mountains, and was an early member of the 'League of Conservationists'. After serving in the Canadian Navy Keith found a job as an apprentice sign painter. He went on to produce movie & theatre marquees meanwhile developing his career as a professional artist. Smith led workshops and mentored artists such as Cameron Bird and Karen Hershey.
Smith was adamant that painting was about technique and feeling as much as subject; that brushwork was as important as composition. The bulk of his artwork comprised oil paintings and pencil sketches.
'UNTITLED'
By Keith C. Smith, Oil on Canvas, 22"x28", 1983
Like many artists, Keith's paintings often started as plein air studies, capturing ephemeral moments with wildlife and relaying them to canvas. He is known for 'making every brushstroke count', and he has a particular assured painting technique. Proceeds from this particular painting are being donated to The Kootenay Wildlife Heritage Fund Society which protects and acquires lands to maintain big game wildlife.
'BULL MOOSE'
By Keith C Smith, Oil on Canvas, 22"x28", 1974
Keith's depictions of wildlife are highly sort after. Often choosing to feature one solitary animal in his scenes, the viewer is invited to join a moment between artist and animal captured on canvas. In this case the large Bull Moose has a stillness amongst the surrounding undergrowth.
'GRIZZLY BEAR'
By Keith C Smith, Oil on Canvas, 22"x28", 1986
A powerful composition featuring a lone Grizzly Bear. Keith C. Smith painted a variety of scenes but his wildlife in particular were popular with collectors, throughout his career and continue to be, after his passing. As an avid conservationist and admirer of wildlife and the natural world Keith immersed himself in the natural landscape, travelling and collecting source material throughout North America and translating it to canvas.
'HARD TIMES'
By Keith C Smith, Oil on Canvas, 18"x24", 1987
The palette and texture of this painting are particularly interesting. The unique shapes and colour palette used in the sky are reflected in the pillows of snow and the soft shaped Keith has used are juxtaposed against the linear forms of the fences and buildings. There is a lot of techniques to enjoy in this painting.
When he started at Berkeley in 1959, Jimmy wasn’t sure if he was going to major in decorative art, or nuclear physics. Following a Masters Degree in economics from the University of California at Berkeley, he spent 7 years in San Francisco before heading North to BC. In Canada he fell in love with photography, spending much time chasing steelhead trout and absorbing the beauty of the natural environment. Jimmy became a serious painter around 1990 and loved to explore colour, shape, script and, most importantly, texture in his works. Now rare in availability, Jimmy's paintings, particularly those featuring Polar Bears, are highly collectable.
'LENTO'- SOLD
By Jimmy Wright, Acrylic, Mixed Media on
Canvas Board 16"x 24", 2006
Jimmy Wright figured people needed a representational image to help them begin their appreciation of his paintings. With the chosen image in place, in this case one of his classic Polar Bears, Wright was freed up to work on the remaining negative space. Not afraid to "scratch" and "throw" things at his canvases he would begin working on his real love; texture. Wright also garnishes his paintings with a calligraphy of mathematical equations, quotes from T.S. Eliot, recycled graffiti and scientific diagrams.
Jimmy's work with texture has influenced many of today's practicing artists, such as the talented Laura Harris, who is greatly drawn to his method.