Art Gallery of Ontario

When I was very young, my Aunt Grace took me to the Art Gallery where I joined other youngsters learning to draw under teaching of Arthur Lismer. Arthur Lismer was a very good teacher who loved children.

I remember a few days before art class near Christmas, Aunt Grace and I went to watch the Eaton’s Santa Claus parade on Yonge St. along with thousands of other people. In those days, the Santa Claus parade was a huge event where everybody went to see it.

During art class, Arthur Lismer suggested that we draw something we remembered from the parade. I tried to draw a picture of Cinderella and her pumpkin carriage with two horses pulling it. I drew the horses too large that I didn’t leave enough room for the carriage! As a kid, I really liked horses. My teacher smiled when I showed him the picture. "I see you love horses," he commented.

One time I was at an Art Gallery in Montreal many years after, I ran into my art teacher again. By that time, he was a very old man, but still busy at the Art Gallery. I approached him and said, "you won’t remember me, but I was one of the young ones you taught to draw in Toronto a long time ago." He was delighted to hear this. The first thing he asked was, "are you still drawing?" I said, "Yes!" We both beamed at each other.

I remember all this and I still love art at the age of 85.

Grace S.

September 2005