Arthur Lismer

Arthur Lismer, member of Canada's Group of Seven, taught Anne Johnston illustration at the School of Art and Design in Montreal during 1967. He drew the 'working portrait' of Anne during one of their many field trips in the city - to places like Windsor Station and the Zoo.

Arthur Lismer would demonstrate skills of drawing with a few lines - in this case capturing the serious, intense student focusing on the skills of drawing, and line. Lismer's lessons have stayed a lifetime.

This work, and the drawings at the Montreal Zoo have been in Anne Johnston's archives, and have never been seen in public - before this.
See the drawings of wildlife by Lismer, in Anne Johnston's collection

Watercolors in the Cascades

Closely focused on the landscape before her, Anne Johnston captures the colors and lines of the forests, ridges and high volcanoes of the Cascade Range. A full day's hike into the Goat Rocks Wilderness provided the site on this ridge, with Mt. Rainier to the north. Ladybugs in swarms settled on the rocks beside Anne.

Anne Johnston developed a light field kit for effective watercolors where hikes could be from one day to three weeks or more in length.

Hompet Valley, Kashmir

For weeks Anne Johnston trekked roadless valleys through the mountains of Kashmir, then crossed the Great Himalayan Divide into mysterious Zanskar, and eventually across the Zanskar range via an 18,000ft. pass into the valleys of Ladakh, the very northernmost parts of India, and near the western border of Tibet.

The greens and rich colors of Kashmir's wildflower meadows made a great impression on Anne Johnston, who has a strong interest in studying mountain wildflowers around the world.

At home next the hearth

The house on St. David Ridge has always been the centre of Anne Johnston's explorations in art and travelling. Art educator Mary Blatherwick captured Anne starting a fire. The house was built by the artist's 3-greats grandfather Isaac Cook in 1800 and 1801. He had been a revolutionary soldier from Medford, Massachusetts on the 'rebel' side. He arrive on St. David Ridge in 1795 with mill machinery, then married Susannah Dusten in 1797. A Rev. War pension file details their move to the site, which no doubt was to a small 'hovel' before the present house was built.

Fred Ross

Fred Ross is one of the great Canadian artists of the last half of the 20th century. He drew Anne Johnston during an extended series of studio sessions. His skills with traditional portraiture have been used in a variety of media to bring his paintings and drawings a place in many great Canadian galleries, including the National Gallery of Canada. There, large mural drawings have a special place. See image here.

See Fred Ross's Mural drawing in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa