There is a great Irish, English and Scottish influence in the customs, speech and architecture of this province. In the beginning the men came as migratory workers. Companies hired on hands eager for work. They left the seaports of England and Ireland in April, not to return until September or October depending on the fishing and the weather. The salted dried cod was in great demand in continental Europe. It was not until the 1700's that permanent settlements started to take place, although migratory fishing continued into the late 1800's. It was not a sophisticated practice. The men rowed or sailed to the fishing grounds. They fished with hook and line until their boat was full, returned to shore to unload and repeat the process.
These directly associated with the fishing industry lived in the outports, the communities outside St. John's. The people grew their own vegetables, had sheep, cows and chickens. Their was an ample supply of wood which they used to build their homes, boats, furniture and burn for fuel. They were self sufficient in many ways. They sold their sailed dried cod in quintal (112 lbs.), sometimes for less then they should have gotten. That money was used to buy fishing supplies and a winter's store. It consisted of molasses, flour, dried fruit, a barrel of apples, sugar, butter and barrel of pickled beef or pork. This was purchased from the merchant. Some merchants extended credit if it was a poor fishing season, but some merchants had an unpleasant reputation which carries over to this day. It was the opinion of the government at the time of confederation to move small isolated settlement to larger centres to provide better schooling and medical service. Some families floated their homes across the water to the larger settlements and the remaining houses decayed. Fish stocks declined to the point where families needed to change occupations and the outport populations declined further. Stages and the stores that normally crowded the shoreline crumbled away. Now there are government wharves for the few remaining fisherman. People of an advanced age must wonder what happened and why this province can't fish while those in Europe and Asia have this privilege. I paint a way of life that no longer exists.
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Collections/Exhibitions:
- 1992 Ewing Gallery, Corner Brook - One person show
- 1992 - 1994, 1996 International Naive Art Contest, North Hatley, Quebec - Juried exhibition
- 1998 Arts and Letters Competition for Newfoundland and Labrador - Ist Place in Acrylic Painting Category
- 1999 - 2000 Arts and Letters Competition for Newfoundland and Labrador - Honourable Mention
- 2000 Government of Newfoundland and Labrador The Rooms - Painting chosen for mural at constructive site
- 2001 St. John's International Airport - Painting chosen for mural
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