To view image click on "Access Content Now" above Ruth Pawson is known for her evocative landscapes. She was inspired by the rolling prairie and theatrical skies of Southern Saskatchewan, and often spoke of the rhythm she felt in the wind. This image captures the bright morning light hitting the rolling hills in southern Saskatchewan in early spring. Though the sun is hot, the snow is not yet melted away, and the breeze brings the smell of spring, a mix of wet earth and fresh coolness. The title, “Brown’s Farm” suggests a location that was familiar to Pawson. She and her lifelong friend and fellow painter, Dorothy Martin would often take day-trips to explore the Saskatchewan countryside near Regina, stopping to paint “en plein air”, out in the landscape. Pawson’s expressive brushstrokes build rhythm into her compositions, charging them with a strong sense of vitality even in the stillness. Ruth May Pawson (1908-1994) was born in Stratford, Ontario and moved to Regina in 1912. Pawson earned a teacher's certificate from the Regina Normal School in 1927 and taught for ten years before she was able to afford art classes. She attended the Regina College of Art where she studied with Augustus Kenderdine and Gordon Snelgrove, earning an Associate of Fine Arts degree (1940). Pawson later attended the Emma Lake Summer School, and several summer sessions at the Banff School of Fine Arts taught by A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven. She became a teacher in elementary schools and at the Regina College of Art. In 1976, the Regina Public School Board named an elementary school in her honor. For her contribution to Saskatchewan art and art education, Pawson received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 1993. Her work is held in numerous private and public collections such as the National Gallery of Canada, Banff School of Fine Arts, and the Saskatchewan Arts Board
