| Bio:
When people speak of the Canadian art scene invariably
the Group of Seven comes to mind … but if you stop for a moment
and consider the young painters who gathered around and were mentored
by these controversial artists committed to the task of giving Canada
a truly national form of painting … a very special person comes
to mind, 90 year-old local artist, Clarence Titcombe.
Clare, an accomplished wood engraver, printmaker,
and painter currently resides with his wife Alma, just outside of
Sunderland, Ontario. In a rare interview this remarkable artist
reminisced about how his art was influenced by chance meetings over
the years with some of the members of this famous Canadian group
during his youth, as well as other notables. During the interview,
it soon became apparent that this gracious gentleman’s 90 years
of life experience read like a great adventure novel, and his influence
on the contemporary art world is noteworthy.
Clarence Titcombe began his life in Egbe, Northern Nigeria,West
Africa, where he was born to very gifted missionary parents. His
parents were British-Canadian pioneers, and the first missionaries
to travel into this region (present day Kogi State) in 1908. Their
work with the people of this area did not go unnoticed. Clare’s
mother received a citation from King George V for her work with
orphans, and his father’s ground breaking work is still honoured
today by a school that bears his family name, Titcombe College Egbe.
Even a book has been written about this remarkable man’s work entitled,
Thread Upon a Lion: The Story of Tommy Titcombe by Sophie
de la Haye.
Clare’s love of art was apparent at a very young age, and as he
grew his love for drawing and painting developed too. Upon his return
to Canada, he studied art at Northern Secondary School in Toronto
where he was taught by a variety of accomplished artists, the most
memorable being notable painter and future recipient of the Canadian
Lifetime Achievement Award, Franklin (Archie) Arbuckle, who encouraged
him at age 13 by saying, "Never lose the concept of light and dark
… always paint what you enjoy most, and stay true to yourself in
all that you do."
By the mid 1930’s Clare had embarked on what would become a very
successful career as a commercial artist. He first began applying
his artistic talents as a wood engraver during the Great Depression
for only $2.00 a week. (He is quick to point out that any work
for a guaranteed paycheque was something to be thankful for during
this time in history.) Clare continued to paint, but his skill
as an engraver was quickly recognized, and he soon found himself
creating detailed images for the legendary Eaton’s catalogue. It
was during this time that he found himself working with and receiving
instruction from Jack Bush of Painters Eleven fame (the first important
of group of Canadian artists dedicated to the promotion of abstract
art).
World War II temporarily interrupted his chosen field, and
when he joined the Air Force he found his artistic talents being
appreciated in a whole new way earning him the title, "Western Air
Command Artist". Clare’s musical talents also became apparent when
he became a member of the Royal Canadian Band, leading to an opportunity
to play the trumpet with the Saskatoon Symphony.
Following the war,
Clare returned to the commercial art field where he continued to
excel as the colour corrector and quality controller responsible
for all of the Eaton’s catalogues before they went to press. Over
the next thirty years, he became renowned for a technique he developed
known as "eye-balling the four colours", and it was because of this
exceptional talent that he was featured in prominent American trade
journals, as well as received visits from interested parties from
as far away as Japan. Unexpectedly in 1976, Clare faced a forced
retirement, along with the mandatory layoff of 125 engravers when
Eaton’s suddenly discontinued its catalogue sales after 92 continuous
years. Clare (and his wife, Alma) decided to turn this unmerited
turn of events into a retirement of dreams, and embarked on a tour
of Europe with a special focus on the Mediterranean. Within days
of their return,Clare was contacted by the Canadian Executive Service
Organization (CESO) requesting his services on behalf of the Canadian
government to help large printing firms in various developing countries
with their colour problems in production. After a number of successful
months overseas in countries such as Indonesia and Panama, he returned
and began to concentrate on his watercolour paintings.
For more
than half a century, Clare Titcombe has mastered a distinctive way
of painting highly detailed compositions that express his vision
of the world around him. Titcombe’s handling of the watercolour
medium blend a traditional, formal understanding of painting mixed
with his own unique ‘line in line’ style of complex strokes and
tones. The subtle palette of each masterpiece resonates his obvious
devotion to nature, and reflects the advice of a teacher and friend,
famous Canadian painter Archie Arbuckle, "Always paint what you
enjoy most, and stay true to yourself in all that you do."
Those
powerful words became a guiding principle throughout Clare’s life
… and even today, he continues paint what fascinates him. He is
committed to helping young artists pursue their dreams through untiring
encouragement, valuable words of wisdom, and by exhibiting his work
as an established and recognized Canadian master along side the
work of emerging artists. He is very supportive of the local arts
community, is represented by The Magic Door Art Gallery in Sunderland,
is an Honourary Lifetime Member of the East Lake Simcoe Arts Association,
and a member of the Arts & Letters Club.
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