COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

Homer Watson and Environmentalism

Did you know that August marks the establishment of numerous environmental movements in Canada? From the signing of the Migratory Bird Convention in 1916, which sought to protect bird species

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Summer Vacation in Doon

It is no secret that summertime held a special place in Homer Watson’s heart. As an early environmentalist, Homer was captivated by the scenic nature of the Doon area during

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Studio Cleaning

Preventative Conservation: Caring for the Watson Studio Homer Watson’s studio is a unique and important part of Homer Watson House & Gallery. We want the Watson Studio to be preserved

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Homer’s Oil Paints

If you’ve visited Homer Watson’s studio, you will have seen the artist’s huge paint-caked palette, brushes, and easel – but stored away in the collection is a set of Homer’s

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Handwritten Homerisms

Over the past couple of years, we at Homer Watson House & Gallery have been transcribing the Watson family’s letters and correspondences in order to make them more accessible. During

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Homer & Roxa’s Wedding

In 1872 at the age of 17, the young artist Homer Watson began courting the daughter of a family friend, Roxa Bechtel. On the days of their courtship, Homer would

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Winter Holidays in Doon

Winter does not appear as frequently as the other seasons in Homer Watson’s works, however, snowy hills and barren trees still make an appearance on some of his canvases and

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The Loch Doon area was memorialized in celebrated Scottish poet, Robert Burns piece “Ye banks and braes O’ bonnie Doon”

Ye banks and braes o’ bonny Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?
How can ye chant, ye little birds,
And I sae weary fu’ o’ care?
Thou’lt break my heart, thou warbling bird,
That wantons thro’ the flowering thorn:
Thou minds me o’ departed joys,
Departed, never to return.

Aft hae I rov’d by bonnie Doon,
To see the rose and woodbine twine;
And ilka bird sang o’ its love,
And fondly sae did I o’ mine.
Wi’ lightsome heart I pu’d a rose,
Fu’ sweet upon its thorny tree;
And my fause lover stole my rose,
But, ah! he left the thorn wi’ me.

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