-Story by Joe Blake Photography by Don Denton
I first met Oak Bay artist Robert Amos more than 40 years ago. He was painting pictures of buildings and sites that were vanishing from the landscape and he told me he was going to be the artist who painted Victoria.
Not long after that, Amos began making pictures of the city害羞草研究所檚 iconographic images 害羞草研究所� the Legislative precinct, the Empress Hotel, Chinatown. When he and his wife, artist Sarah Amos, moved to Fairfield to raise their two daughters, Amos began to paint Cook Street Village. Seven years ago, this creative couple moved to Oak Bay and built their current home-studio.
害羞草研究所淭he late mayor Nils Jensen met me on his bicycle tour one day and said, 害羞草研究所業 want to make Oak Bay the art capital of the Capital Region害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� Amos tells me.
We害羞草研究所檙e in his studio front room, where he stores his notebooks, diaries and sketchbook archives. There are shelves of them 害羞草研究所� personal chronicles of his career and development as an artist. There are also a handful of his published books, like last year害羞草研究所檚 critically acclaimed best-seller E.J. Hughes Paints Vancouver Island.
In October, Amos celebrates the publication of his second volume of Hughes害羞草研究所� biography, and he害羞草研究所檚 already at work on volume three, the war years.
害羞草研究所淚 just like the way his paintings look!害羞草研究所� Amos exclaims, smiling like a Cheshire cat. 害羞草研究所淚 wrote about him, met him, and got an invitation to spend the day with him.害羞草研究所�
Amos then shows me a series of commissioned paintings of a house in Oak Bay documenting a half-century of life for the mother and daughter who live there. It害羞草研究所檚 another current project, in addition to lectures on Hughes and Emily Carr.
害羞草研究所淎 close look, of what it害羞草研究所檚 like to paint,害羞草研究所� Amos says dramatically. 害羞草研究所淣inety minutes of close observation. We害羞草研究所檙e going to do some video recording of the lectures, too.害羞草研究所�
Born in Belleville, Ontario in 1950, Amos spent his school years in Toronto, followed by two years at Queens University taking English literature courses. Amos got a part-time job lifting crates at an art gallery and that害羞草研究所檚 when he saw his first art show.
害羞草研究所淗eart of London!害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淭hat was the title of the show. I thought害羞草研究所y life could be the subject matter, too 害羞草研究所� a framed experience, painting. I went to York to study fine art, art history and Japanese art and a professor bought some of my paintings. In my final year, I did nothing but studio work.害羞草研究所�
Amos landed at Western Front in Vancouver and a waterfront studio on Carrall Street, near Gastown. He hung out with The Pier Group of artists that included Victoria designer J.C. Scott. Performance art, live co-op radio plays, live music, and dreams of going to Japan 害羞草研究所� Amos lived a bohemian life and continued it when he came to Victoria with fellow artist Andy Graffiti, setting up shop in Chinatown above Fan Tan Alley.
害羞草研究所淭he place looks amazing!害羞草研究所� he recalls. 害羞草研究所淭hat view coming into town over Royal Oak? Beautiful!害羞草研究所�
Amos got a job at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, where he stayed for five years. He says he saw a lot of Japanese art, Japanese wood block and German expressionism.
害羞草研究所淭hen I quit and went to Japan for a year of travel in Japan and Thailand,害羞草研究所� Amos says. 害羞草研究所淚 studied Japanese. I met Sarah. We got married. We travelled. We were crossing into Malaysia at Langkawi and I had to declare my occupation, that I was an artist. That was a big moment. I am an artist!害羞草研究所�
Amos is probably Victoria害羞草研究所檚 most public artist. Besides decades of writing about art in his Times Colonist column and Monday Magazine before that, and producing CBC Radio reports on Victoria害羞草研究所檚 art scene, Amos is at work in Greater Victoria害羞草研究所檚 neighbourhoods 害羞草研究所� literally painting the town.
He害羞草研究所檚 been artist in residence at The Empress and the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, where he also wrote drafts of his E.J. Hughes book during breaks from two months of summer painting in a sunny room across from the David Foster Theatre.
Amos is also a fixture at the annual Bowker Creek Brush Up and at local schools, since his early collaboration with Barb Adams at Monterey. He害羞草研究所檚 also a member of Oak Bay害羞草研究所檚 public art advisory committee.
害羞草研究所淚 think that害羞草研究所檚 the only organization I害羞草研究所檝e ever joined,害羞草研究所� Amos grimaces. 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 like meetings!害羞草研究所�
Every Friday for the last 17 years, Amos has visited Mount St. Mary害羞草研究所檚 Hospital where he reads to the residents while they paint and draw.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 probably the happiest times of my life,害羞草研究所� he says, smiling. 害羞草研究所淚 love painting landscapes, houses and gardens, cars, dogs 害羞草研究所� anything, but it害羞草研究所檚 still a struggle to sell a painting. The art business is still a struggle.害羞草研究所�
But despite that, and after decades of dedication to his craft, Amos has achieved what he set out to do: he害羞草研究所檚 painted Victoria. And the paintings and drawings of Oak Bay and other neighbourhoods are his lasting legacy.
Visit Robert Amos害羞草研究所� .
