Artist Frank Johnston, of Gravenhurst = Journeyman Painter / Print Maker - Who Became A Player in Canadian Art History

Photo by Suzanne Currie

     Frank Johnston is recognized as a regional Ontario artist and like so many other steadfastly dedicated artists of once, has been in many ways ignored and denied the recognition he deserved. I was given permission by several Johnston family members, about fifteen years ago now, to commence work on a small biographical work on Johnston, who had for quite a number of years lived in a storied old Victorian house on Gravenhurst's Hughson Street. It began with great excitement and ambition on my part, but unfortunately fizzled when my family contact ceased for months at a time, and after re-connecting, would again become non existent once again. Several key contacts who knew Frank well didn't respond to my requests for information and or, personal interviews, and although I did get a small portfolio of his print samples given to me, I was largely left with only enough information to write a small series of columns for a regional publication. Which was okay I suppose, and it did by itself, gift me a few other contacts that helped infill some questions I had about the talented Mr. Johnston.

     I remember one day during this period, talking with a local historian about Frank Johnston, and the amazing watercolors of Muskoka steamships he had exhibited for years at the former Sloan's Restaurant on Muskoka Road, but he had no idea about his relationship with one of Canada's Group of Eleven artists, as profiled in the book by Iris Nowell, entitled "Hot Breakfast For Sparrows - My Life With Harold Town." Frank Johnston was known by Town, although a little reluctant to admit it to his face, was considered one of the finest print makers in Canada at the time. Town and Johnston worked together frequently (and sailed together on Johnston's boat), as the Group of Eleven artist was well known for his collector's prints, which he was near fanatical about having completed flawlessly. The book by Nowell points out a few of the near fisticuffs that might have broken out between the two talented artists, if not for the fact cooler heads prevailed in the end, and the prints came out looking spectacular.

     Frank Johnston did a small portrait of me, back in the early 1990's, to companion a feature column I was writing for Hugh and Mark Clairmont's "Muskoka Today," beneath the heading, "Hometown Advantage." At the time I knew a lot about Frank's art work, as our family were regulars every Sunday morning at Sloan's Restaurant, where his giant watercolors hung over the dining tables across from the lunch counter. These were seriously important historical interpretations of an exciting time in Gravenhurst and Muskoka's past, and they were supposed to remain in our town forever, according to Johnston's interpretation of a deal made with Sloan's management. The large paintings were supposed to be removed from Sloans at some point, when there was a change of ownership, and taken to town hall for permanent display. These art works today would be worth a considerable amount of money.

    The paintings were sold off and the town never intervened on behalf of Frank Johnston, to stop them from leaving the community in which they had been inspired. It was so devastating to the artist that he actually decided it was time to move from town. It was pretty harsh rebuke by Johnston, and one that should have stung the town movers and shakers, who could have mounted a bigger objection to their removal. Sadly, the paintings were lost into the free market and there isn't much likelihood we will ever get these visual treasures back in our town. Frank didn't have much to do with Gravenhurst after this nasty affair, although he did keep up his friendship with those locals who had spent considerable time at his Hughson Street print shop and studio. One of course, was writer, newspaperman, and musician, Hugh Clairmont, and it was in Muskoka Today, where anyone interested could catch up on the transplanted artist, who had impacted our community with great distinction. And did I mention that Frank was a character and then some, and was known as both crusty, a fellow who cut straight to the point, and gruffly at that, who lived hard and celebrated the good life with trademark intensity, had a keen wit, dry sense of humor, and the willingness to argue a point to the brink of bursting a blood vessel. A truly sensitive, highly intuitive, and sharply competent artist, who could characterize Canadian history with a keen sense of each scene's inner actuality, as if you might, if listening carefully, hear the hooves of the team of horses, and the rattle of old freight carts and buggies bouncing down the dirt lanes of our old village main streets. They weren't sweetly nostalgic scenes, because Frank wasn't a sweet guy, truth be known. He was however, historically tuned and astute and he did his research well when he was commissioned to produce illustrations of Canada's heritage sites, of which he was masterful and always, always, invested in bringing history to life in such misty interpretations, in time etched realities without the distinct dreamscape qualities, that made them so enchantingly powerful. To lovers of history, local, provincial and national history, he was the artist of choice, and his images of Muskoka steamships were probably the best of his huge portfolio of past work.

     Frank Johnston was an important contributor to Canadian art during his life, and now, in remembrance of his connection, via print work, with one of this countries, best known abstract artists, Harold Town. I will always buy any signed Frank Johnston prints, particularly of Muskoka, and would certainly like to hear from the present owners of those amazing watercolors that once, a long while back, hung so proudly in that great Muskoka restaurant, "Sloans," where the blueberry pie was as legendary as the owners - the Sloan family. I might not be able to afford them myself, but I'd certainly be willing to front negotiations to get them back home again.

     The two illustrations with today's post are Frank Johnston works depicting Toronto's Black Creek Pioneer Village.