British Columbia

A vision of Canada by one of her most respected and talented artists is the theme of the 1984 Canada Day miniature sheet. This year's commemorative sheet reproduces the work of Quebec artist as part of the celebrations marking the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's arrival in Canada. Even as a young boy, Lemieux was interested in painting. A chance encounter with the American painter Parnell sharpened his interest, and at the age of ten he was given his first paintbrushes. As a result of a series of moves during his youth, Lemieux began sketching in California and produced his first watercolours in Montreal. During a first pilgrimage to Montparnasse, he admired Gauguin's work and the impressionist art of Renoir and Degas. While he was studying at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal, his personal style began to develop and he grew critical of the rigid conservatism which then dominated the École. "The painter's eye is a sentient mirror which reflects the changing image of the world and objects in it and interprets them on canvas through a personality and a set of sensibilities," he wrote; and for more than thirty years this philosophy formed the basis of his career as a teacher of fine art. In the early 1950's, a second trip to France marked a turning point in his career. Believing that he needed to free himself from the influence of Cézanne, Matisse and Monet, he became the Lemieux we know today, haunted by vast expanses, loneliness, and endless time. His unique style has established his reputation and earned him numerous awards, several honorary doctorates, and a nomination to the Order of Canada. The Canada Day stamps feature twelve paintings, which were conceived as a set, giving the artist's interpretation of the provinces and territories of Canada. Graphic designers Jean Morin and Tom Yakobina of Montreal were responsible for the graphic realization of these paintings in the postage stamp format.