​Annora Brown (1899-1987) grew up in Fort Macleod, Alberta, where she was introduced to art by her mother, who had studied under Florence Carlyle. She studied at the Ontario College of Art from 1925 to 1929 under Group of Seven members Arthur Lismer and J. E. H. MacDonald, who encouraged her to develop her own style, and there she formed lasting friendships with other western Canadian artists. Brown taught at Mount Royal College, worked for the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Extension, and later taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts from 1945 to 1950. Throughout her career she balanced studio practice with illustration, design, and advocacy for art education in Alberta, becoming a key figure in the province’s cultural development and the first female member of the Alberta Society of Artists.

​Adeline Rockett (1929-2024) was born in Saskatchewan and earned her B.A. and B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan, as well as an M.Ed. in Art Education from the University of Alberta. She taught at both universities, participated in workshops at the Banff School of Fine Arts, and conducted gallery studies in major institutions across Europe and the United States. Rockett held 41 solo exhibitions, took part in numerous group and traveling shows, and her work is represented in over seventy public and corporate collections internationally, including the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. A nationally recognized watercolourist, she represented Canada in major international exhibitions and was the national winner of the Millennium Art Competition, receiving her award at the National Gallery of Canada in 2000. Her award-winning painting hangs in the Conservation Hall of Fame in Ottawa.

This body of work features historical female artists that were working in Alberta during the early 1900s. As a long-time resident and female artist in this province, I have felt the challenges that women face in the art world today, with an understanding that in the past the challenges were even greater. Researching archives opens the doors to the history of the women artists that contributed to the growth of arts in Alberta.

I studied Art & Design in the mid-1980s where women artists were not really discussed and, when I enrolled in art history classes during the pandemic, I was surprised to learn that there is still not much information about female artists in the curriculum. There is even less information about female artists specific to Alberta.

In 2008, I attended an exhibition of work by Margaret Shelton at the Collectors' Gallery in Inglewood where I was fascinated to see her orange bike and paint box. She had painted her bike using house paint to make it more visible on the roads and would pack her art supplies and tent to cycle from the Drumheller Valley to the Rocky Mountains where she would create watercolour paintings and woodcut prints. She was a school teacher who used scholarship money to study at the Banff Centre under professional artists such as A.C. Leighton, Walter Phillips and more. She is one of the many inspiring Alberta women artists who created in spite of the challenges they faced.

Beginning the project during my Artist Residency with the Alberta Society of Artists in 2024, which was founded by A.C. Leighton, I explored the use of full-sized watercolour sheets coated with a medium for durability. My goal was to incorporate figurative work along with the work or belongings of each artist. I found that I missed working solely on portraits and switched to 12x12 inch cradled and prepared wood panels. Like Georgia O’Keeffe intended with her paintings of flowers, I want to invite the viewer to stop and learn about these important women.

I want to thank the Archivists at the Galt Museum, Whyte Museum and Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives at the Banff Centre for their assistance along with numerous others who reached out to share stories and photographs after learning about this project on CBC Radio (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/women-artists-alberta).

I've really been enjoying using my studio sketchbook for a variety of things, including a monthly 're-cap' of sorts to document my personal highlights which usually tend to lean towards getting some studying done and drinking tea. :) December's journal touches on:

• a previous interview
• the snow...oh my goodness it was an unusually cold month
• lots of tea in my William Morris teacup (which I love)
•  wrapping paper...lots of it
• making paint
• Christmas lunch down south with my daughter & son-in-law
• and a lovely Christmas Eve service in the historic Knox United Church

I find that I'm drawn to art books that are quite different to the way I work but, also, those that tend to focus on sketching. Some of my current favourites are quite old, but there are a few new ones, too.

1. Cotswold Sketchbook: I love how Lesley Holmes captures her community in such a soft way. I've had this book for almost 30 years and I'm still inspired by it as it includes pencil sketches and finished work. I love seeing how artist's work progresses.
2. Jane Was Here: I love Jane Austen and am currently writing my thesis on her work as feminist literature. This is another book I've had for awhile though I believe it's been republished recently and it is filled with wonderful illustrations and interesting tidbits of information.  Now that my daughter lives in England, it is even more meaningful.
3. In Pursuit of Inspiration: I love rae dunn illustrations and this book does not disappoint. Not only does she include her lovely little doodles, but also images of what inspired them. My daughter and I both gifted one another this book in 2019 and we both still enjoy it.
4. Hand Drawn Halifax & Draw Your Day: I picked these both up at a wonderful little bookshop on a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia several years ago and immediately read them cover-to-cover. I just love how different every artist approaches work in their sketchbook.
5. The Watercolor Feast: My husband picked this one up for me last year and I love the vibrancy of the watercolour sketches. It's a great reminder that even the simplest things around home can inspire work in a sketchbook. These illustrations were created using the direct watercolour method, which means no pre-drawing, something that I would like to incorporate into my sketchbook practice more often.

I've also posted a video on youtube with a bit of a flip through, too.

I painted the portrait of May Morris some time ago and wanted to add two additional portraits of women who have inspired me. May was a feminist and designer who ran William Morris & Co. for many years.  Jane Austen was also a feminist and a writer whose work I have been studying as part of my English major for a few years. Finally, Virginia Woolf, another feminist and writer, wrote a book I read almost annually, A Room of Her Own, which influenced me in creating my studio space. I was concerned about painting Jane as there are currently three paintings/engravings that have been attributed to her sister, Cassandra, a family friend, and her nephew though that was after her death. I find it very difficult to work from someone else's artwork, but it was all I had and I think I am pleased with the final result. I find it interesting that I chose 2 writers and 1 artist, but literature has definitely influenced me throughout my life. Now to wax these three so they can go up on my wall to encourage and inspire me every day.

One of my greatest privileges is staying connected with patrons of my work over many, many years. I recently received this new photograph of a set of mini interior paintings I had created so very long ago...I love how they have been framed together. I also had the honour of meeting Susan on one of her trips east and I'm so grateful that she still keeps in touch as, though I am a chatty person, I am actually quite introverted so I tend to stay comfortably in my little creative space here at home and don't venture out too often. I happily live in my little dream world and only venture out on occasion, which is why I can create bodies of work, and also why sharing my work through exhibits is very important to me.

"I wish you lived nearer,
just along the way.
I wish
you lived right here,
a thousand times a day."

Several months ago I heard an interview with an artist on CBC Radio. She learned that her family had been placed in Japanese internment camps in British Columbia during the second World War and, during that time, were only given a few hours to pack a suitcase before they were removed from their homes. As she began to ask questions, she was surprised to learn what they had actually packed to bring with them, which reminded me of the fires in northern Alberta and the surprising things people threw into their suitcases as they had to leave quickly. This made me wonder, what would I bring in my suitcase? As I wander about my home, I realize that my "must have" list is much smaller than I originally thought, though I will keep adding to my "packing list."

There is one spot that I like to paint along Nose Creek just down the street from where I live that has this beautiful little set of rapids. In that place, there is a nice rock that I can perch upon, which gives me so much joy. From this vantage point along the creek, I have encountered herons, beavers, muskrats and lots of birds while I sit quietly to paint. In spring and summer, the rocks are often covered with water, but in autumn and winter, I have the best view...and the sound of the rushing water is so peaceful. I feel very fortunate that this is just a short walk away from my home.