‘Home is where one starts from’, writes T.S. Elliot; we are all on a journey somewhere, literal or metaphorical. This idea lies at the heart of Regional art, for it is only possible to know our place in the world – to appreciate all that it is and all that it can be – by traveling away from time to time.

Travel with us and see our land through the eyes of our Canadian Regional artists. See the world beyond our city centres; the rural heartland and small communities, the farms and fields, the far-flung regions and hinterlands – almost always home to someone. See things even the locals no longer notice, or take for granted; for the outsider brings a new perspective to bear. Then we may all look back and regard our home, as though from afar, and see it afresh, through new eyes.

This is the goal of the Regional artist: to learn to see, and portray the world as it really is; home and away, good or bad. Realism is the expression of choice for these artists; ‘perspective’, ‘perception’ and an objective point of view. The central values of the ‘Romantic’ movement of the Nineteenth Century – beauty, nature and truth – are conveyed most effectively through the representational forms, and these timeless values inform regional painters of our day, as they did then.

Every few generations, regional art movements emerge in response to the time: Romanticism (England and the United States was followed by American Regionalism in the 1920s and ‘30s; then, in Canada, London Regionalism, in the 1960s and ‘70s. Today, a couple of generations on (as regular as clockwork) a new Regionalism has emerged. This latest incarnation springs out of the nature and wildlife art movements of the ’80s and ’90s, and is deeply rooted in the Romantic tradition – preserving those essential and timeless values.

A new Regionalism in art has emerged. Born of the nature and wildlife art movements of the 80s and 90s – and deeply rooted in the Romantic tradition – this movement carries forward the essential values of an earlier, more enlightened age. In the 'Art Of Nature' you will see our land, and the inhabitants of our wild spaces, through the eyes of three generations of nature artists.

Far removed from our city centres and the hubbub of modern life, this other world is often far from mind. And thus, it is easy to forget that our wild spaces are essential for the well being of us all; however 'far removed' we may feel, our ancestors understood well, we are all connected in a 'web of life'.

The central values of the ‘Romantic’ movement of the Nineteenth Century – beauty, nature and truth – inform Regionalist painters of our day, as they did in days gone by. This latest incarnation of the perennial art movement – the world's oldest and most enduring – is deeply rooted in the Romantic tradition, and seeks to preserve the traditional knowledge of our fore-bearers.

Every few generations, regional art movements emerge in response to the time: Romanticism (England and the United States) was followed by American Regionalism in the 1920s and ‘30s; then, in Canada, London Regionalism, in the 1960s and ‘70s. Today, a couple of generations on, a new Regionalism has emerged.

In an increasingly urban, technology based society, the role of the nature artist has never been so important: fostering a concern for, and understanding of, the natural world – particularly among the younger generations, who will inherit this world. The cultural thread that Regionalist artists maintain connects us to our roots, and to the traditions that emerged from our relationship with the land. Through this art, a reverence for nature might be preserved.

Away from the glitter, glamour, and trends of the big city ‘art scene’, Regional artists have not been distracted. They have maintained their focus and still speak to issues of importance; for the society in which they work and the world in which we all live.

Independent artists today are the eyes of society; theirs is an art for the people.