Georgia Jarvis

Georgia Jarvis, beloved by her collectors, is best known for her nostalgic depictions of the Alberta landscape and country life. The artist was born and raised on a farm near the village of Boyle, in Northern Alberta. These rural roots would later help define her work. She studied at the University of Alberta, initially pursuing a career in nursing, and working as an operating room nurse. In the early 1970s, following a skiing accident, Georgia discovered her passion for art when she was gifted a painting kit to pass her recovery time. Entirely self-taught, by 1974 she was pursuing an art career full-time and had attracted attention from art dealers across Canada.

In the mid-1970s, Georgia’s husband, Warren Jarvis, received a work transfer, and the family (which included two young boys) temporarily relocated to Ontario. They spent several years in Sarnia and then Don Mills (in North Toronto), where Georgia set up studios and built her art practice. She obtained representation across the country, showcasing her work at galleries in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. These paintings reflected her love of the outdoors and her extensive travels across mostly rural Canada, with a sketchbook in hand. During these early years, Georgia honed her technique, which was originally heavily textural and relied on the palette knife. As her practice progressed, her works evolved into more detailed compositions, incorporating both brushwork and palette knife. Her work from the Ontario years includes colourful autumn landscapes, forested streams, mills, and bridges.

When the Jarvis family returned to Alberta in the early 1980s, they established a ranch outside of Calgary. When she was not painting, Georgia was an avid rider and could often be found, dressed in Western gear, riding her quarter horse. She was also actively involved in Calgary’s 4-H Club, showing champion animals from the family’s ranch. Her notoriety as an artist began to grow. Georgia became very popular with local collectors who sought out her oil paintings of iconic Alberta scenes: Foothills homesteads; Rocky Mountain landscapes, which often included mounted riders; harvest scenes; and quaint rural narratives. In a 1987 interview, the artist aptly described her art as “totally country”.

Jarvis was a fixture at the Calgary Stampede Western Art Showcase throughout the 1980s, and her booth almost always sold out of paintings. She would take on additional private commissions and continued her gallery exhibitions. Her work was in such demand, that to make her art more accessible to all collectors, some popular images were also produced as limited edition prints and collector plates.

Sadly, Georgia Jarvis passed away in 1990, at age 46, after a short illness.