Horan exhibit lights up Holyrood museum in watercolours

By Mark Squibb

The works of St. John’s artist George Horan, 82, can be found in private collections and in public places all the world over, and from now until December 20, several of Horan’s works are available for purchase at the Holyrood Heritage Society Museum and Art Gallery.

The exhibit, curated by artist Todd Chafe, opened on October 17.

“I’ve done gallery shows, of about 20 pieces, something like that, but this is really a survey of my painting so it’s much bigger even than I initially thought it would be,” said Horan during an interview at the grand opening. “I was thinking it would have to do with the watercolours more than anything else, because that’s what I was focused on. But once Todd Chafe got into the studio, and started looking around, and talking with Valerie, my wife, he said, ‘My God, I can’t just do them, can I pick anything?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, if that’s what you want to do.’ Until I came out to see the show, I wasn’t absolutely sure what pieces he had actually selected. But it hangs together particularly well. In fact, I think he did a fabulous job.”

Horan admits that as a young painter, he became discouraged with his own work, until artist Gerry Squires took him under his wing, and so holding the exhibit in Holyrood, and in the same museum where several of Squires’ own works hang, holds a special significance.

Horan’s work has been well received by other artists and by the community at large.

“It’s very gratifying,” said Horan. “I tend to keep to myself, and painting is a bit of a solitary occupation. So, as a consequence, this kind of feedback is unusual for me. But I got to say, when colleagues, artists that you respect, say, ‘Hey, that’s lovely,’ it’s just overwhelming.”

When asked what he enjoys about painting, Horan took a moment to think the question over.

“Nobody’s ever asked me that,” he allowed. “I think it’s just the opportunity to look at the landscape and emphasize things that I think we have a tendency to just walk past, (that) we don’t pay as much attention.  And I would like to bring back a focus on what we actually have here. It’s beautiful. Newfoundland is spectacular, and I just want to emphasize it. And there’s no lack of different views. That’s the other thing. I know people say, ‘We’re an island,’ and ‘We’re surrounded by water,’ but it’s fabulous. We need to spend more time looking at what we actually have, and appreciate it, and to be careful how we protect it going forward.”

One of his favourites among his own work is of a view looking across the mouth of the harbour towards Fort Amherst in St. John’s.

“I’ve seen it from the sea, I’ve seen it from the land, I’ve seen it from being in Fort Amherst, and there’s always something new, always something spectacular about that whole area,” said Horan. “The whole island has blown me away. I haven’t spent nearly enough time exploring.”

Horan, who taught art at Memorial University from 1989 to 1992, began exhibiting his work in the 1980’s. He began dabbling in watercolors as a youth, and after a back injury, found himself working in watercolours once again. Acrylics rank among of his earliest works.

“The oils are from my middle period, if I could put it that way, the 90’s and early 2000’s and so on,” said Horan. “Most of the work here is watercolour. I’ve come back to watercolors. I never really left it alone. But I now almost exclusively work in watercolours.”

Curator Todd Chafe got to know Horan at the soft opening of the museum’s Gerry Squires Memorial Gallery last year.

“I seized on the opportunity and put the seed in his head and said, ‘George, it would be great if you showed some of your work here,’” said Chafe.

Horan later offered Chafe some stretcher frames and canvas at a great price – free – and when the latter went to pick up the materials, he took a closer look at some of Horan’s work. The two began to talk more, and preparation for the show began shortly thereafter.

Chafe highlighted Horan’s watercolours skills and said the show was an opportunity for watercolour artists, of which there are many between Carbonear and St. Johns, to see some exceptional watercolours.

Horan also offered some advice for young, budding artists.

“Don’t get discouraged,” said Horan. “That’s particularly true with watercolour because it’s so easy to get discouraged with watercolours. It’s a difficult medium. It’s not very forgiving. Acrylic and oil are a lot easier in that sense because you can change things. But don’t give up. The best lessons you learn are outside the classroom, away from nosy instructors.”

Chafe, meanwhile, offered some advice of his own for would be artists.

“The most important thing not to do is to be too afraid to try,” said Chafe. “The second thing is, if you have the desire to do it, you can do it.”

In addition to regular practice, Chafe recommended would-be artists study art history.

“Picasso said, ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal,’ and if you don’t know art history, you can’t steal from it,” quipped Chafe.