The Islands: Biographies: Amherst Island Bio 4

Amherst Island Biographies 4

Daniel Fowler

Artist

TWO VIEWS OF CANADIAN ART
ADDRESSES BY MR. WYLY GRIER, R.C.A., O.S.A.,
AND A. Y. JACKSON, R.C.A., O.S.A.
Before the Empire Club of Canada, Toronto,
February 26, 1925.

Daniel Fowler, who was born in England in 1810, came to Canada in his youth and settled in Amherst Island. He was a real artist, and true to his name to employ a pun-he was especially gifted in painting wild fowl. He also painted farmyard scenes, and themes of a gentle, domestic character; and did them all extremely well. His work was tinctured somewhat by European artistic habits. He even employed the old convention of outlining his objects with a quill pen, in brown ink, which was the practice of Prout, who was famous in England.

Exerpt from A Study of Art at the Upper Canada Provincial Exhibitions
Ontario Painters 1846-1867
Harper, J. Russell, Curator of Canadian Art, Ontario Painters, Harper, Curator of Canadian Art 1846-1867, The National Gallery of Canada�s Bulletin and Annual Bulletin; Bulletin #1, May 1963.
(http://collections.ic.gc.ca/bulletin/Main/intro_e.html)
For an example of the artist(s) work see: http://collections.ic.gc.ca/bulletin/num1/harper_image6.html

Three immigrant English painters living in scattered Ontario rural communities saw the exhibitions as an opportunity to publicize their work. Robert R. Whale settled in Burford, 1852, William Nicol Cresswell at Harpurheye near Seaforth, 1855, and Daniel Fowler on Amherst Island in the St Lawrence River, 1843, although he did no painting until 1857 because of ill health.
Daniel Fowler had worked in England as a professional water colourist until threatened with consumption. He moved to Canada for his health, settling on a farm on Amherst Island. His first exhibited works were in 1863 in the amateur class, but he transferred to that of the professionals on the judges' orders in 1866. Fowler's artistic range was broad, including not only the well known water-colour flower and landscape paintings, but also winning prizes for animals, marines and genre in the same medium, crayon and pencil portraits, pen and ink studies, and sepia.

From: http://bink.trentu.ca/artinventory/Goodman%20-%20Fowler%202000.001.1.htm (no author identification).
ARTIST: Daniel Fowler R.C.A., O.S.A. (1810-1894)
Daniel Fowler was born in Kent, England in 1810 and later began trainin as an artist in London with watercolourist J.D. Harding (BIO<<<<<). From 1834-1942 he traveled around Europe for a while before returning to England. In London, Fowler worked as a professional artist for eight years before moving to Canada. He was suffering from tuberculosis and decided that the fresh air in Canada would help his health so he purchased a farm on Amherst Island, close to Kingston, Ontario. He farmed his land for fifteen years and in that time he did not paint at all. In 1857 he visited in England and upon his return to Canada he set up an art studio in his house. Although he never strayed far from his home again, he became a known and respected watercolourist who exhibited regularly at the Provincial Exhibition until he passed wasy in 1894 at the age of eighty-four.

From County of Lennox & Addington Economic Development Website: http://www.lennox-addington.on.ca/tourism/lhistsite.html
Provincial Plaques and National Historic Sites;
Amherst Island and Adolphustown
Daniel Fowler
Emerald, Amherst Island
Significance: Honours the early Canadian painter (1810-1894), and is located near his former residence.

On son Reginald...

From: http://www.qschooner.com/hclaxxiraf.html
History of the County of Lennox and Addington 1913, W.S. Herrington, K.C.
CHAPTER XXI
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
REGINALD A. FOWLER
Warden of Lennox and Addington, 1903.
Mr. Fowler is a son of Daniel Fowler, the artist, was born at "The Cedars" on Amherst Island in July, 1845, and educated at the public schools of the island and at the private academy of the Rev. John May of Kingston. Though the most retiring of men one would meet in a day's travel Mr. Fowler was ready for action when the peace of his native land was threatened. He was a volunteer in the 48th Battalion, which was organized at the time of the Fenian scare in 1866, and was speedily promoted from the ranks to a lieutenancy. In 187o he was sergeant in Company NO. 5 of the Ontario Rifles, joined the Red River Expedition under General Wolseley, and today wears a medal for his participation in the quelling of that outbreak.
He has always taken a deep interest in whatever tends to promote the welfare of the community; and the islanders have not been slow to avail themselves of his good judgment and business ability, electing appointing him to serve in different capacities, in the Township Council, on the Board of Health, and as a director of the Agricultural Society. He first entered the island council in 1875, and served in the county council in 1895-6, and again in 1901-2-3-4. In 1903 he was chosen warden, and as such commanded the respect of all the members and looked carefully after the interests of the county as a whole. While Mr. Fowler is a strong party man he is liberal in his views, and is prepared to concede to his neighbour who differs from him in politics the same honest motives that prompt him in forming his opinion upon the public questions of the day.

The Islands: Biographies: Amherst Island Bio 4