1st of 42 works found
Jasper
Artist
Akroyd, Jack
Title
Jasper
Technique
gouache
Date
1989
Dimensions
51.0cm height x 76.0cm width
Type
painting
Accession Number
2014.16.19
Owner
City of Burnaby
Collection
Permanent Collection
Artist Jack Akroyd (1921-1996) was born in Halifax, England. In 1947, he immigrated to Ontario to work as a machinist. After 18 months he quit his job working for the CNR and enrolled at the Ontario College of Art, going on to graduate in 1953. Shortly after, Akroyd moved to the West Coast, taking on various positions and working full-time as a draftsman with a Vancouver consulting engineering firm. He sketched and painted in his spare time and between jobs. By 1961, he was living in Kitsilano and had declared himself a freelance artist. Jack is quoted as saying “I figured if I could generate $100 per month, I could make it.” As not many of his early works sold, Jack supported himself by helping local sculptors. While Akroyd remains comparatively unknown on the West Coast, his work is held in many private and public collections, and a book by Mother Tongue Press features his work. Through his drawings and paintings, Akroyd documented his surroundings with meticulous detail and often added a personal, almost humorous, touch to his art.