Basil Graham Forsythe (17 October 1952–16 March 2012) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

artist. Although Forsythe was classified blind at birth he traveled extensively. He did not start painting until 1991 when his eyesight was restored by an operation.

Early life

Forsythe was born in Ballymena,

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. In 1958 Forsythe and his family immigrated to Canada. He worked his way through University and graduated with a degree in Political Science from the

University of Guelph , mottoeng = "to learn the reasons of realities" , established = May 8, 1964 ()As constituents: OAC: (1874) Macdonald Institute: (1903) OVC: (1922) , type = Public university , chancellor ...

in Ontario. He completed his formal education in 1974 at the age of 22.

Career

In 1981 Forsythe started his own business paving roads. His company employed a dozen workers and the work was steady, but Forsythe had a desire to do something more creative. In his spare time Forsythe wrote murder mysteries, perhaps prompted by the fact that his father and his father's brothers were all policemen working in homicide. As a young boy Forsythe would overhear his father speaking about unsolved crimes with colleagues. At the age of 38 Forsythe was told that an operation might be able to give him sight. Despite the risk of complications, Forsythe chose to undergo the operation. Fortunately, the operation was a success and Forsythe could see properly for the first time. Inspired by the beauty of nature, Forsythe began to paint. His talent was evident and soon art galleries and private collectors began to purchase his landscapes and seascapes. Graham Forsythe was a member of the

Federation of Canadian Artists The Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) is an association of artists in Canada founded in Toronto in 1941. The FCA soon had chapters across the country, and was one of the main forces behind formation of the Canada Council in 1957. After this, the ...

and won several Jurors Choice Awards. Most of Forsythe's paintings depict natural scenes. He died in March 2012 in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, aged 59, while preparing for an exhibition there. "Basil Graham Forsythe", ''Victoria Times-Colonist'', Oct. 13, 2012
Retrieved 15 May 2021

Honors and awards

* 1998 'Juror's Choice Award', Federation of Canadian Artists * 1999 'Juror's Choice Award', Federation of Canadian Artists * 2000 'Juror's Choice Award', Federation of Canadian Artists * 2006 Selected Featured Artist, Ladera Ranch Education Foundation annual fundraising event.

Publications

* International Artist Magazine Edition #61 USA, 2008 * International Artist Magazine Edition #56 USA, 2007 * Monterey County Weekly, Monterey, California, USA (2002) * Ballymena Guardian, Ballymena, Northern Ireland (2003) * Art World News, National Publication, USA (2003) * International Graphics, Eggenstein, Germany (2004) * Ladera Ranch Herald, Ladera Ranch, California, USA (2004) * Galleries West Magazine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (2005) * Cottage Style Magazine, National Publication, USA (2006) * ''

Orange Coast Magazine ''Orange Coast'' is an American lifestyle magazine published for the Orange County, California region. Established in February 1974, ''Orange Coast'' is the oldest continuously published lifestyle magazine in the region. ''Orange Coast'' inclu ...

'', Orange County, California, USA (2006) * MagazinArt Biennial, National Publication, Canada (2006) * Pierre Belvedere Cards, Quebec, Canada (2006) * International Graphics, Eggenstein, Germany (2006)

References

External links

Madrona GalleryOfficial site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forsythe, Graham 1952 births 2012 deaths 20th-century Canadian painters Canadian male painters 21st-century Canadian painters Modern painters Painters from Northern Ireland People from Ballymena University of Guelph alumni 20th-century Canadian male artists 21st-century Canadian male artists Artists from County Antrim Emigrants from Northern Ireland to Canada