Orestes Nicholas Grandmaison (Rick Grandmaison)

Canadian [1932-1985]

Rick Grandmaison was born in Calgary in 1932, the eldest of five children of Russian immigrants Nicholas de Grandmaison [1892-1978], an artist well known for his First Nations portraits, and Sonia (Orest Dournovo) de Grandmaison [1912-2000], a talented sculptor in her own right. Rick Grandmaison studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts, the Winnipeg School of Art, and the Chelsea Art School in London, England. Additionally, he received instruction and encouragement from his father, particularly in his formative years.

In 1957, Rick Grandmaison travelled to England, Portugal and Spain. In 1958, one of his paintings was notably presented to U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1963, he returned to study and work in England. During his career, Rick Grandmaison was featured in numerous one man shows in galleries across Western Canada. His work hangs in many public and private collections around the world.

Rick Grandmaison painted en plein air (or “on the scene”) wherever possible, inspired by the desire to capture a fleeting moment of light. His impressionistic landscapes evoke memories of the Old West, while embodying a lightness in brushwork, colour, and mood. Grandmaison said of his work: “My mandate for painting in oils has been to record in this infinite medium the colour, mood and motion of the Canadian landscape. Subject is really incidental to the expression of my ideas about it.