Artists’ views of Artists at work
November 13, 2012
Naomi Jackson Groves (1910-2001) was the niece of A.Y. Jackson (1882-1974), and daughter of commercial artist H.A.C. Jackson, so it isn’t much of a surprise that art came easily to her. She was heavily influenced by her uncle and father, and followed in their footsteps to become a well regarded artist in her own right, but she never forgot her roots, as shown in her painting Unk on a Log (1973). In this painting, Jackson Groves portrays her uncle A.Y. Jackson as he paints a Canadian landscape. Jackson Groves painted a full scene, rather than just the figure of her uncle probably in an attempt to show a behind-the-scenes view of an artist at work, to give people a better understanding of the creative process.
Plate: 15 x 22.5 cm, Drypoint
Gift of the artist. Photo: John Tamblyn
Similarly, in Simon Tookoome Drawing (1989), a drypoint work by John Hartman (1950-), the artist gives a behind-the-scenes look at another renowned artist, Simon Tookoome (1934 – 2010). He turns influences and inspiration into physical beings and has them guiding the subject’s hand.
– Maryssa Barras, HWDSB Secondary School Coop student
Fall 2026 Exhibitions at the McMaster Museum of Art
September 4, 2026
Connected Histories, Research, and Archives—Interview with Nnamdi Nnake
September 1, 2026
What stories can the telegraph tell? More than a century after telegraph lines began to stretch across Nigeria, Connected Histories: The Telegraph in Nigeria invites visitors to take a fresh look at a technology that helped shape modern communications, colonial governance, labour, and everyday life. Drawing on the doctoral research of McMaster University PhD candidate Nnamdi Nnake, the exhibition brings together rare artifacts, archival […]
M(M)A Education Staff Teresa Gregorio Shortlisted in City of Hamilton’s Arts Champion Awards
June 23, 2026
Please join us in congratulating M(M)A’s Educator for Campus & Community Engagement, Teresa Gregorio, for being shortlisted in the Arts Champion Awards in City of Hamilton’s Arts Award 2026. The Arts Champion Awards may be conferred annually to living individuals who are outstanding supporters of the arts in Hamilton as volunteers, advocates, or board members. […]
