Thomas John Thomson (born 5 August 1877 in Claremont, ON; died 8 July 1917, almost 40 years old ) circa 1905–10. |
Thoreau MacDonald (1901-1989), the son of JEH MacDonald of the Group of Seven, was also a friend of Tom and he wrote:
“Thomson’s work would be a fine study for some competent critic, but anyone attempting it should be familiar, not only with every phase of his work but with the country too, lakes, rivers, weather; have them in his bones … “
I prefer to be positive... being critical is not my style but my natural science background might bring fresh information to the Tom Thomson catalogue raisonné. This project will take some years to complete but I am in no rush.
In the draft of my "Tom Thomson Was A Weatherman" book, I included several chapters describing the meteorology and natural science employed to better understand his art. This information has already been written in the "The Art and Science of Phil the Forecaster" blogs which I have been compiling for many years. If you should encounter a term or concept that I do not adequately explain within the context of a particular Thomson work, a search of this site will certainly yield the answers. I will typically include linked references to the required background information with each painting.
The following is a list of the Blog entries to date accompanied by a representative image and a linked title to the Blog. Some paintings require more than one blog to fully explain. Tom accurately painted the truth of what he saw.
Arthur Lismer, his friend and Group of Seven member described Thomson as someone who "sought the wilderness, never seeking to tame it, but only to draw from it, its magic of tangle and season." That wilderness put the "wild" into his art.
Blodwen Davies included in the 1967 publication "Tom Thomson: The Story of a Man Who Looked for Beauty and for Truth In The Wilderness" that Tom Thomson had remarked: "Someday they will know what I mean." Hopefully, that day has arrived.
Note: Miss Blodwen Davies's passed in 1966 but she had previously sought help from Group of Seven artist A. Y. Jackson, who had written the Foreword to the first self-published version in 1935. That first printing was limited to 100 copies and the 1967 republished version of that scarce book is available to a larger audience.
Thank you for your interest. These posts have been a lifetime in coming.
Tom Thomson Was A WeathermanThunderhead: Pink Cloud over a Lake - Summer 1916
Tom Thomson's Black Spruce Autumn 1915 observation of a cold frontal passage
Tom Thomson's Clouds (The Zeppelins) of an approaching warm front with heavy snow and conditional symmetric instability at 8 pm on Thursday, April 29th, 1915 - Astronomy
Tom Thomson's Afternoon: Algonquin Park, 1915 Studio Work in The Shack - Tom painted this in late November 1914 and one of his last works in the Studio Building before heading to the Shack.
Northern Lights 1915. The flip side of Smoke Lake - Summer 1915. Tom observed and recorded space weather as well.
Spring in Algonquin Park, 1917. A lot of weather...
Canoe Lake Spring, 1917 - an afternoon sketch with the centre of the low-pressure area nearby turns into much more with the assistance of Roy MacGregor
Birches, 1917 - and the story is not about the trees.
Lowery Dickson's Cabin 1917. Daphne was wearing the white hat but the meteorology is even more interesting.
The Rapids Spring 1917
Spring Break-up Spring 1917
Northern Lake, Early Winter Spring 1917
Early Spring Alternate title: Spring Ice and Birches Spring 1917
Early Spring, Canoe Lake Spring 1917
Winter Thaw Spring 1917
Autumn Clouds Fall 1915 Dynamic cloud shaped by the wind bathed in the light of sunset tell an intriguing story of science and the weather.
Evening Cloud Alternate titles: Evening Clouds; Storm Cloud; Storm Clouds Fall 1915 Hers is the real story... cumulus congestus at a cold frontal passage wearing the Belt of Venus...
Artist's Camp, Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park Alternate title: Night Camp Fall 1915. There is a very interesting story behind the white "balloon silk", state-of-the-art tent.
The Lake, Bright Day Fall 1916 Ragged Pine Fall 1916 Birch by a Lake, with Big Cloud Alternate titles: Birch by a Lake; Birches; Clouds over a Lake Fall 1916
Autumn, Algonquin Park 1916Lake in Autumn Alternate titles: Late Afternoon?; Swamp in Fall? Fall 1916 Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park Fall 1916Pink Clouds Fall 1916Wild Geese: Sketch for "Chill November" Alternate titles: First Snow Ducks; Sketch for "Chill November" Fall 1916 Sunset, Canoe Lake Fall 1916
Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,
Phil the Forecaster Chadwick
PS: I once corresponded with Ross King, the author of "Defiant Spirits" and he wrote: considering the "ancient question of St. Hilary of Poitiers—“Who can look on nature and not see God? ”—can be given a Canadian twist. Who can look on nature and not see Tom Thomson?" That phrase does indeed sum up the art and science of Tom Thomson.