On a trail to interesting boulders along Lynn Creek, Uncle Weed enjoys beer, bread and cheese while exploring the impact of bohemian painter Fredrick Horsman Varley on West Coast art culture. Varley, a member of the venerated Group of 7, lived in Vancouver for 10 years during which he moved from Jericho to Lynn Valley with his student/muse/mistress Vera Weatherbie, while his wife and kids lived in Kits. Anecdotes include: WW1 battlefield painting, trips to Algonquin Park with Tom Thompson, visits from Emily Carr, collaborations with photographer John Vanderpant, exhibits at the Tate in London and his later years with a short NFB film and CBC interviews in which he proclaimed his refusal to paint people who were too beautiful.
Hit the trail for Portrait of Varley ~ Choogle On! #104 (.mp3, 32:22, 30MB)Bonus UncleWeed’s Varley Links Dave Olson’s Varley’s Vancouver: Discovering the city’s artistic heart in Frederick Varley’s past in Megaphone Magazine
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So good to hear another Uncle Weed podcast.
Nice summary of the life and work of Varley. I enjoyed listening while skiing the shoreline of Georgian Bay this afternoon – sun on the mountains and storms in the distance – Varley might have found it interesting.
I am looking forward to further exploring a painter I have always felt was a kindred spirit.
Peace, from Manitoulin Island
Hello Will, I must say, i am happily stunned by this comment. So glad to find a Varley enthusiast so far away… and to think you listened while walking the same trails as ole Fred is remarkable. I published a short version of the article in Megaphone magazine recently which you might enjoy and also have some more creative projects coming about this forgotten renegade.