Paintings by Frank Proctor will be exhibited at the Gibsons Public Art Gallery (GPAG) from Nov. 3 to 14 with a reception with the Proctor family at the Gibsons Legion on Nov. 5 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Proctor started painting in his youth and went out painting at every opportunity well into his 90s, producing more than 350 works in his lifetime He enjoyed capturing on canvas the glories of B.C.: mountains, trees, stumps, flowers, rivers, logging, sawmills, farms and barns.
Born in 1902, he passed on in 2000, but we have his words recorded from a 1989 interview.
"I am a realist, but I don't really paint, say, a tree as just a tree," he said. "To me it is a wonder of creation. I could sit for a long time studying the tree's form and shape and also feeling the life force within it. I think that Nature tells us a great deal about attitudes in life, and if we could follow its lessons, we'd all be much better off."
Proctor was born and brought up in Durham County, England, and the "Geordie" was evident in his speech, ready mind and sharp wit. This, coupled with his strong faith, carried him through his life's challenges of the Depression years in Saskatchewan and the war years as Quartermaster Sergeant of the Regina Rifles. He left the army in 1947 to spend the rest of his life as a valued member of the Mission, B. C. community where a street was named for him.
His work was recognized by the Federation of Canadian Artists and hung in the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Vancouver Public Library. As well as success in seven regional art shows, his work was chosen for the British Columbia Festival of the Arts in 1982 at Kamloops and again in1987 at Duncan. In 1989, The Gallery at Harrison Hot Springs hosted a 24-day exhibition of his paintings. Today, as well as across Canada, his paintings are enjoyed in many other countries.
In his 80s he wrote an inspiring book about his life entitled I Was There, which his daughter Pamela published in Gibsons. His writing has received many favourable reviews across Canada. A website (www.soldierstory.com) was created, which also displays some of his art.
