RoseMarie Condon Reflects On Goodwin’s Artistic Legacy

Seated at the table in Cherry Tree Lodge’s bright dining room, local artist RoseMarie Condon reflects on what the life and art of W.A. Goodwin means today for emerging artists.

“Hi, I am RoseMarie Condon. I am an artist, I am based in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Fenelon Falls, actually, and I became aware of Goodwin’s art through the Olde Gaol Museum, an exhibition that just blew me away, I was not aware of him prior to that, and I so appreciated his work because, as Goodwin, I’m a traveller in the wilderness (Image of watercolour painting of landscape appears on screen) and I love plein air painting, and his work really spoke to me. It was beautifully rendered, delightful watercolours, and tells a story of Kawartha Lakes in the very early days, and it bridges a gap in our knowledge of the area and how recreation became an industry in the Kawartha Lakes and how it continues to grow. But his work has a very honest and insightful quality to it, very skillfully done, as, I guess, most British people very early on had an education in watercolour rendering, but he had an exceptional ability, and I really enjoyed the tonality of his work, the subject matter, the variety. He had wonderful drawing ability, and I think that he really should be better known, and more people should be aware of the quality of his work and the content of his work. It’s very important to the history of the area, and for young artists coming up to be influenced by draftsmanship (Image of watercolour painting of cottage appears on screen) and the importance of draftsmanship in rendering a good painting.”