His eye for detail, light, and contrast and the humour with which he approached work and life, are ever-present in his art. It is our family’s privilege to share his legacy, and to see the world through his eyes.
Suzanne Ross
Henry Simpkins was an artist of outstanding ability. Our original family art gallery, the Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, represented his work and hosted one man exhibitions. When I began working at the gallery full time I had the pleasure of being the one of us to go and visit him to select work at his home on Pine Beach Blvd in Dorval. Henry was a soft spoken gentleman, kind, humble, a genuine artist of the generation including Jack Bush, William Winter, Philip Surrey, and Lorne Bouchard, artists who were formally schooled in art and honed their vocation in the world of commercial art, while developing a style of their own.
The quality of his work was recognised in his earliest years in Montreal when his work was accepted from 1930 at the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts exhibition and the Art Association of Montreal the following year. He continued to contribute works annually, with rare exceptions, until 1955. The now legendary art dealer William Watson previously represented Simpkins in a number of exhibitions.
We emphatically encourage collectors of fine Canadian art to purchase these watercolours recently released by his family.
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Memories of my Grandfather
By Suzanne RossHenry J. Simpkins was just Grandpa to me. Buckwheat pancakes, April fools, and his paint-splattered studio in Dorval that felt like home. Always ready with a riddle or joke, or pulling a handful of coins from his pocket for my brother and me to guess the amount. While the artistic gene didn’t quite carry through with me, the hours spent sketching and painting en plein air with him helped me to appreciate the care and skill he took to create his works. His family had always been his models, and I see myself and my brother in many of his works. I had always been horse-crazy, and my grandfather was instrumental in seeing that dream come true. Horse shows became a favorite sketching ground for him, and he became a familiar horseshow regular. Through his paintings, I gained an appreciation for the varied landscapes of our country and the world beyond Canada. His eye for detail, light, and contrast and the humour with which he approached work and life, are ever-present in his art. It is our family’s privilege to share his legacy, and to see the world through his eyes.
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Photographs of Henry J. Simpkins, courtesy of Suzanne Ross -
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Henry J. SimpkinsPeggy's CoveWatercolour11 3/8 x 15 3/4 in
29 x 40 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsSt. Sauveur, 1977Watercolour19 1/8 x 25 1/8 in
48.5 x 63.8 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsSawblades, Sugar CampWatercolour19 1/8 x 25 1/8 in
48.5 x 63.7 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsBlack and White HorsesWatercolour19 1/4 x 25 1/8 in
48.8 x 63.8 cmSold
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Henry J. SimpkinsWhite Horse in WinterWatercolour19 1/8 x 25 1/4 in
48.7 x 64 cmCAD 700 -
Henry J. SimpkinsFishing Boat, Vancouver IslandWatercolour19 1/8 x 25 1/8 in
48.7 x 63.6 cmCAD 700 -
Henry J. SimpkinsMorin Heights, WoodshedWatercolour19 1/8 x 25 1/4 in
48.5 x 64 cmCAD 700 -
Henry J. SimpkinsBoats at SorelWatercolour19 1/8 x 25 1/4 in
48.5 x 64 cmCAD 700
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Henry J. SimpkinsA Quebec Sugar CampWatercolour20 1/2 x 29 1/8 in
52 x 74 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsAt St. LazareWatercolour20 7/8 x 29 3/8 in
53 x 74.6 cmCAD 900 -
Henry J. SimpkinsBlue Boats and Ice FishingWatercolour12 1/4 x 16 1/8 in
31 x 41 cmCAD 500 -
Henry J. SimpkinsBoat, Yellow HullWatercolour20 1/2 x 28 7/8 in
52 x 73.4 cmSold
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Henry J. SimpkinsBoxcars, Lake of the WoodsWatercolour14 1/8 x 20 1/8 in
35.7 x 51.2 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsBringing in the SapWatercolour14 1/8 x 20 1/8 in
36 x 51 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsExcavating for CNR StationWatercolour11 1/4 x 14 5/8 in
28.6 x 37.1 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsMcGill CampusWatercolour20 5/8 x 29 1/2 in
52.5 x 75 cmSold
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Henry J. SimpkinsFarm House, QuebecWatercolour14 3/8 x 20 1/2 in
36.5 x 52 cmCAD 500 -
Henry J. SimpkinsFarmhouse in ManitobaWatercolour19 3/4 x 26 1/8 in
50 x 66.2 cmCAD 700 -
Henry J. SimpkinsFishing on the Red Near the South Floodway (Manitoba)Watercolour12 1/4 x 16 1/8 in
31 x 41 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsFreight Train Over BridgeWatercolour19 1/8 x 25 7/8 in
48.6 x 65.6 cmSold
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Henry J. SimpkinsGrey Winter Day, Otter LakeWatercolour15 x 21 7/8 in
38 x 55.5 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsEquestrian Show at St. LazareWatercolour20 5/8 x 29 1/8 in
52.5 x 73.7 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsHeavy HorsesWatercolour20 5/8 x 29 1/2 in
52.5 x 75 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsHorse Show at Oliver (British Columbia)Watercolour20 1/2 x 29 1/2 in
52 x 75 cmCAD 900
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Henry J. SimpkinsHorse vs. TrailerWatercolour20 3/4 x 29 1/2 in
52.7 x 75 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsShow At Carman, ManitobaWatercolour20 1/2 x 28 7/8 in
52 x 73.4 cmCAD 900 -
Henry J. SimpkinsManitoba Farm Near Bird's HillWatercolour10 x 14 in
25.4 x 35.4 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsManitoba, Along the PerimeterWatercolour12 1/4 x 16 in
31 x 40.5 cmSold
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Henry J. SimpkinsNear RigaudWatercolour14 1/8 x 20 1/8 in
36 x 51 cmCAD 500 -
Henry J. SimpkinsOld Fishing BoatWatercolour20 5/8 x 29 in
52.3 x 73.6 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsOn Galiano BeachWatercolour20 1/2 x 29 1/8 in
52 x 74 cmCAD 900 -
Henry J. SimpkinsViewing the BayWatercolour20 5/8 x 29 1/8 in
52.3 x 74 cmCAD 900
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Henry J. SimpkinsPointe au ChêneWatercolour11 3/8 x 15 1/2 in
28.8 x 39.5 cmCAD 500 -
Henry J. SimpkinsThree Horses Through WoodWatercolour21 1/8 x 29 3/4 in
53.5 x 75.4 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsSkating on Lake St. LouisWatercolour12 1/4 x 16 1/8 in
31 x 41 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsSmall Farm on Skaha Lake (British Columbia)Watercolour20 7/8 x 29 5/8 in
53 x 75.3 cmCAD 900
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Henry J. SimpkinsSugar Camp (Red Shirt)Watercolour14 3/8 x 20 5/8 in
36.4 x 52.3 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsSugar Camp in SpringWatercolour20 5/8 x 29 1/8 in
52.4 x 73.7 cmCAD 900 -
Henry J. SimpkinsTen Sleep, WyomingWatercolour21 x 29 5/8 in
53.2 x 75.3 cmSold -
Henry J. SimpkinsTrail RideWatercolour20 1/2 x 29 1/2 in
52 x 75 cmSold
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