Walter J. Phillips, York Boat on Lake Winnipeg (1930)
Walter Joseph Phillips is yet another unquestioned master of magnificent woodcut images of the Canadian landscape. He often printed his artwork in color inks rather than just black ink as used by many of his contemporaries working in the same medium. Although born in England, he settled in Canada as a youth and resided in Winnipeg, Manitoba for much of his life (the same place, coincidentally, chosen as a newfound home by another exceptional Canadian woodcut artist and fellow European immigrant, Eric Bregman). Phillips produced the bulk of his work from the late 1910s through the 1940s. In many of his images of the Canadian west he situated people within the scene, providing both a sense of scale and nice human emotional element.
Walter J. Phillips, Mount Cathedral & Mount Stephan (1928)
Walter J. Phillips, Lake of the Woods (1931)
Walter J. Phillips, Red River Jig (1931)
Walter J. Phillips, The Clothesline –Mamalilicoola (B.C.) (1930)
Walter J. Phillips, The Stump (1928)
O' Canada 
His work is really magnificent! Great post!
Fine work. Thank you
lovely art – thank you for sharing it.
Canada is clearly windy.
Great observation! 🙂
Thank you for broadening my knowledge of Canadian artists. I have to admit I have never heard of Walter J. Phillips. His Lake of the Woods is very reminiscent of the Group of Seven style.
Oh, that’s very true about the similarities with the Group of Seven’s distinctive Canadian aesthetic on landscape imagery.
Those are beautiful.
Wonderful!
Wonderful. Thanks for sharing
Wonderful artwork! Thank you.
Incredibly beautiful and so full of life. You can feel the wind blowing and the ocean churning. Thanks for sharing!
I think it is wonderful that you are interested in promoting Canadian culture and all that goes with it…I am biased of course, being Canadian….:) And thank you for liking and following my new blog. Be sure to watch for new pics of our Canadian Beaches…I love our landscape too.
Judi, thanks! I look forward to your blog posts. 🙂 Brett
I hadn’t heard of him or seen his work before. Thank you for the introduction!
🙂
Before I looked at the titles and read the bio, I said to myself, “Oh I can feel the Prairie winds in these pieces.” Embarrassed to say I am from Winnipeg and had never heard of Phillips. Found this quote from his writings, “Some of us are almost pagan in that our love for Nature prevails over our love for art.” http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/books/mrs06.pdf
Thanks for sharing that wonderful quote!
A wonderful sense of depth and light !!!!
🙂
Hello Brett! I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Should you choose to accept this award follow this link http://murderincommon.com/2016/03/29/vba-what-again/
Him June, thanks for your kind nomination! Best, Brett
Thank you!
🙂
A great post among many of your others. The OCanadaBlog often has things to teach me about my own ‘home and native land’. Well done!
mdm – VanAsItWas.wordpress.com
Thanks very much! 🙂
You make Canada loooook soooo magical. I want to visit but weather and cold are my greatest barriers
Maha, parts of Canada certainly have very cold weather but much of the country also has a full four seasons, with a good measure of warmth and hot weather. I’m always amazed at the ability of people to adapt to their surroundings, whatever those may be, and to find and create goodness there. Best, Brett
These woodcuts are fabulous. As you note, it is so fascinating to see the human element incorporated into the landscape. This artist in particular reminds me a bit of the old National Park posters from here in the United States, possibly of the same era.
Thank you so much Brett for this wonderful collection, and I look forward to more inspiration!
Walter Phillips was quite the talent! I definitely see the similarities to the old National Park posters.