Vera (Olivia) Weatherbie

Last updated
Vera Weatherbie
Vera Weatherbie by John Vanderpant.jpg
Vera Weatherbie by John Vanderpant, 1930
Born
Vera Olivia Weatherbie

1909
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Died1977 (aged 67)
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
EducationVancouver School of Decorative and Applied Art , Royal Academy Art
Known forPainting
Notable workPortrait of F.H. Varley, Clam Diggers, and My-E-En
MovementModernism
SpouseHarold Mortimer Lamb
AwardsVancouver Exhibition Association Scholarship in Drawing and Painting

Vera (Olivia) Weatherbie (1909-1977) was a Vancouver painter and one of the first graduates from the Vancouver School of Decorative Applied Art. [1] Weatherbie was known for her connections with the Group of Seven Painter, VSDAA faculty member, and co-founder of the British Columbia College of Arts, Frederick Varley. [2]

Contents

Education

Weatherbie was born in 1909 in Vancouver and went to Britannia Secondary School. [3]

Weatherbie attended the Vancouver School of Decorative Applied Art, now Emily Carr University of Art and Design, from 1925 to 1929 with fellow painter and friend Irene Hoffar Reid. [4]

Weatherbie continued her education in 1932-1933 completing post-graduate studies at the Royal Academy of Arts in London where she expanded her skill in diffused light, muted color, and fractured surfaces. [5] Upon her return from London, Weatherbie took a position as a painting instructor at the British Columbia College of Arts in Vancouver. [6] The school was founded by Frederick Varley, Jock Macdonald and Harry Täuberwas. [6] Weatherbie worked at the British Columbia College of Arts until it closed due to financial troubles in 1935. [6]

Impact on Artists

Weatherbie was well known both as a model and muse for such artists as Frederick Varley and her spouse Harold Mortimer Lamb. Varley created a number of portraits of Weatherbie with one of his most celebrated paintings titled Vera (1931) becoming a part of the Masterpieces of Canadian art series postage stamps issued by Canada Post on May 6, 1994. [7]

While a student of Varley's at the School of Decorative and Applied Arts in Vancouver, Weatherbie was known for having taught Varley about auras. Harry Adaskin, a Canadian violinist and author, noted, "'Vera, who was involved in mystical speculation, taught Varley about auras: vibrations which surround all people revealing the true state of their emotions and spirit. These vibrations were depicted as colour by those spiritually ready to receive them." [8] [9]

Reception

Although Weatherbie has been considered underrated for her time, she did receive recognition for some of her work through awards and reception. [2] [10] Weatherbie was applauded for Portrait of F.H. Varley (1930, oil on canvas and board, 99.0 cm x 85.0 cm) for her ability to capture her subject. Blodwen Davies of the Toronto Star Weekly on January 21, 1931 stated, "Miss Weatherbie has attempted to paint not only a keenly discerning study of the face of the artist, but she has invaded the world of metaphysics in a daring effort to commit to paint the immaterial qualities of personality." [2] [10]

Personal life

Weatherbie married Canadian artist Harold Mortimer Lamb on May 4, 1942. [4]

Weatherbie died at the age of sixty-seven in Burnaby, British Columbia. [6]

Exhibitions

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Viola, Kaylia (2017). "Vera Weatherbie - More than a Muse". Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Vancouver Art Gallery. "Vera Olivia Weatherbie, Portrait of F H Varley". The Road to Utopia. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  3. ↑ Amos, Robert (2013). Harold Mortimer Lamb : the art lover. TouchWood Editions. ISBN   978-1771510196. OCLC   840251005.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Richardson, Letia (1987). First Class - Four Graduates from the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts, 1929. Vancouver, British Columbia: The Floating Curatorial Gallery Women in Focus. p. 43.
  5. ↑ Varley, Frederick Horsman; Markham., Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery of (2007-01-01). F.H. Varley portraits into the light = mise en lumière des portraits. Dundurn Press. ISBN   978-1550026757. OCLC   256536363.
  6. 1 2 3 4 MacDonald, Colin S. (1997). A dictionary of Canadian artists. Canadian Paperbacks. ISBN   0919554210. OCLC   777135054.
  7. ↑ "Vera (detail), F.H. Varley, 1931 | Postage Stamp | Canada". www.canadianpostagestamps.ca. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
  8. ↑ Brooker (1929-03-09). "The Seven Arts". Ottawa Citizen.
  9. ↑ Jacques, Michelle (2021). article, Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Movement. Kleinburg, Ontario: McMichael Canadian Art Collection. p. 115. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  10. 1 2 Davies, Blodwen (c. 2006) [21 January 1931, Toronto Star Weekly]. 75 Years of Collecting. Vancouver Art Gallery.
  11. ↑ 75 Years of Collecting - Vera Olivia Weatherbie. Vancouver Art Gallery. c. 2006.
  12. 1 2 Lamb, Harold Mortimer. "Fonds - Harold Mortimer Lamb, Vera Weatherbie, and Molly Lamb Bobak fonds" . Retrieved 2017-03-19.
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