Her Passion

Artist, poet, Author, playwright, journalist and teacher, Hermia Fraser expressed her artistic and literary talent in a variety of forms from the 1920's through to the 1970's. From the brush of this vibrant West Coast painter, Hermia's canvasses and sketches reflect the primitive frontier spirit of British Columbia's coming of age. The bold strokes of pure colour herald the British Columbia scenes and give life to her individualist "impressionist" style. Hermia spent numerous summers and weekends travelling and sketching in B.C. and her work captures the rich landscapes and changing geography. Figures often appear in her work and they add a different rhythmic dimension.

In Hermia's adult life creativity was her passion. She loved to sketch, to paint, to communicate through poetry and to support causes that would help other people. During the Great Depression she read tea leaves in a restaurant and donated to the unemployed and poor. Even with the collapse of her family life, she strove to create a living through writing -- plays, two published books and feature articles in newspapers, as well as annual art shows for her paintings.

In the early 1960's Hermia went to Europe and there is a part of the collection that is designed around her travels - Paris, Rome, Lisbon, Athens and Crete.

Hermia also went back to university to improve her teaching qualifications and taught in the Cariboo, Lillooet, Terrace, and Kelowna. In Vancouver she was a substitute teacher and also taught night school classes for the YMCA and the West Vancouver Community Centre. Wherever she went, she sketched and eventually found time to paint an oil from the sketch. It is difficult to outline a chronological time frame of Hermia's art as some paintings were done months or years after a visit or a year of teaching.