Lot 72: Edward John (E.J.) Hughes 1913 - 2007 Canadian

Edward John (E.J.) Hughes 1913 - 2007 Canadian watercolour on paper Looking North from a Patio, Shawnigan Lake 20 x 24 inches 50.8 x 61 centimeters signed and dated 1994 and on verso signed, titled and dated Provenance:Acquired from the Artist through his friend Pat Salmon by a Private Collector, Alberta Private Collection, Vancouver E.J. Hughes was a superb watercolourist, and from 1991 stopped painting oils on canvas in order to concentrate on this medium. The same attention to detail and feeling for the West Coast atmosphere found in his oils manifests in his watercolours, clearly seen in Looking North from a Patio, Shawnigan Lake. A warm note is struck in Hughes's depiction of the intimacy with which people live with nature on Vancouver Island, and the idyllic sensation that comes from being able to take just a few steps beyond the well-tended patio to the water's edge to enjoy recreational water activities, indicated by the diving board and red canoe. As often seen in Hughes's work, there are small touches of man's presence in the distant land. Houses are tucked into the trees - small glimmers of red and white amid the green - while between the islands, a tiny rowboat makes its way to the opposite shore. Hughes's personal affection for the area also infuses the scene - he and his wife Fern lived on Shawnigan Lake from 1951 to 1972. Richly coloured, finely detailed and replete with Island atmosphere, this is a delightful Hughes watercolour.