Keith Thomson | Prairie Tribute

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Keith Thomson, "Canola Sunset"

watercolour, 21x27 in. Courtesy of the Gallery.

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, November 19th, 2022

The Iconic image of the Canadian prairies Grain Elevator is slowly fading from the landscape. It is an image that is familiar to all people of the western prairies as well as all Canadians and visitors to Canada. There are many reasons for its demise and many reasons for its existence. The first grain elevators built were necessary to gather grain from the pioneer farmer that settled on the prairies. They were constructed along railway lines to accommodate delivery to markets and in turn, small towns and villages were formed. Elevators were a symbol of wealth and financial progress.

There are many reasons for its distinctive shape. It became a tool for small farmers to sell and store their grain. Another reason for the size of the elevator was that farming was small and they had to haul their grain to market by horse-drawn wagons.

Later by 1/2 or one-ton trucks. Today elevators are extremely large and do not have an artistic aesthetic quality.

I started to paint my views of prairie elevators not because I was raised on a farm, but because I loved their looks as I traveled the countryside to find sites to paint. Even though I may have taken artistic liberties, I wanted to portray them as they fit into the landscape and a viewer might also have empathy for the past. I am now 88 years of age so please forgive me for my nostalgic views, however, I had a wonderful time with this series of elevator paintings.

-Keith Thomson