As you walk through the exhibition aisle in the Gryphon Musée, a series of urban paintings featuring a bold, vibrant palette will capture your attention. The combination of unusual subjects coupled with dynamic composition gives the paintings a distinctive style. Artist Jeff Wilson’s choice of subjects in his work shows his attentiveness to the underserved details of everyday life, purposefully drawing attention to perspectives that are easily overlooked by the general public.

Jeff Wilson is originally from Edinburgh, Scotland. He trained as a structural geologist in the UK and worked in mineral exploration around the world, settling in Vancouver in 2004. Painting originally started as a hobby, where he attended night classes at the local Emily Carr University. It eventually evolved into a full-time career and his work has been exhibited in a wide range of public galleries in BC, Alberta and Washington State.

At Gryphon Development, we value and perfect every small detail that are often overlooked to create an art of living, and when we saw Wilson’s work, we knew he would be a great fit in Gryphon Musée. We are honoured to showcase Wilson’s painting in our urban landscape exhibition at the Gryphon Musée. Join us as we engage in a conversation with Jeff through his journey to becoming one of Vancouver’s top urban landscape painters.

Gryphon: G
Jeff Wilson: J

G: How would you describe your style of painting?

J: I work with acrylic paints on canvas to produce images in a painterly realist style. The resulting work is immediately recognizable by its combination of dynamic composition, unusual subject and vibrant palette.

G: What are some of your favourite pieces? Why?

J: One of my favourite pieces at Gryphon is “Worm 8” which depicts a dumpster, a very common object in local alleyways. They are simultaneously the most colourful thing in the streetscape, but largely ignored. It is almost the definition of hiding in plain sight. Another favourite is “The Cambie”, which depicts the back of the Cambie Hotel in Gastown. I feel a strong connection with the Cambie, which was the place I stayed when I came to Vancouver, looking for work.

G: What inspired you to become an artist?

J: I am a geologist by profession, and have worked in the mining industry for many years. I started painting as a hobby to reduce the stress of work, but it blossomed into a serious pastime and finally a full-time practice when I was let go from my industry job in 2013.

G: We noticed you featured a lot of Vancouver’s cityscapes and landscapes in your paintings. Would you consider Vancouver your main source of inspiration?

J: Yes, definitely. As an immigrant to Canada, I see all kinds of quirky and idiosyncratic things around Vancouver that tell particular stories about its people and culture that may seem mundane to the locals. Being new to the country, I see the city in a different set of eyes and that is greatly translated into my paintings.

“Fisgard Lighthouse”  by Jeff Wilson

We thank Jeff for taking his time to have a conversation with us. Follow us on Gryphon News for an interview with artist Andrew McDermott in the upcoming post.

Visit the Gryphon Musee from March 12 – April 13th, between Monday to Friday 11am- 4pm (except holidays) for a series of urban landscape paintings by Jeff Wilson and urban pastel works by Andrew McDermott.

Gryphon Musée
5659 Dunbar Street
Vancouver BC V6N 1W5
604 620 8295
info@gryphonliving.com