Sold for: $58,250

PROVENANCE
Dominion Gallery, Montreal
Canadian Art, Joyner Fine Art, May 18, 1993, lot 94
Private Collection, British Columbia

E.J. Hughes was a master of the techniques of watercolour, and Church at Qualicum Beach exhibits his exceptional ability with fine detail and washes. The subject, of this charming small community church surrounded by woods, is appealing. Hughes captured the peace of the countryside around Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island in his depiction of the silent, waiting church and the two people walking up the shadowed road. The church, with its shingled exterior, paned window and special wood door, is well-kept and attractive. Two arbours at the entranceway, one covered by climbing roses, add to the welcoming atmosphere. Hughes’s interesting use of the long, sinuous road recalls the motif of a curving road in his fine 1966 oil Davis Lagoon Bridge, Saltair, BC. Works from the 1960s are sought after for the artist’s heightened use of colour, and here the richness of the teal blue and the warm orange brown of the door contrast with the brightness of the white shingles. Spots of red flowers in the arbour, the blond, sun-bleached grasses and the vibrant greens of the woods beyond add to the richness of his palette. In Church at Qualicum Beach, Hughes captured the idyllic period of the 1960s on rural Vancouver Island, far away from the troubles of the world.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars