Emily Carr (1871-1945) became known as one of Canada’s most recognized artists. Emily was born on December 13, 1871 in Victoria, British Columbia. She was the youngest of five sisters. After the death of her parents, Emily went to study art at the California School of Design in San Francisco.

Emily continued studying art in Paris and London, before returning to Vancouver, British Columbia to teach art to children. Carr found artistic inspiration in the landscapes and villages of her homeland of British Columbia. As well, she was greatly influenced by her meeting with the well-known Group of Seven artists. However, Carr’s paintings did not receive national recognition until much later when she was age 57. During the ensuing years her greatest works were created.

At the age of seventy, Emily was hospitalized and advised by her doctor to slow down. At this point, her interests shifted from painting to writing. While hospitalized, Emily wrote Klee Wyck for which she received the Governor General’s Award in Literature in 1941. Emily Carr died in Victoria BC on March 2, 1945 in her seventy-fourth year.

Source for additional information

Emily Carr: At Home and At Work – http://collections.ic.gc.ca/EmilyCarrHomeWork/index.htm