| BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS |
At the end of the 1934 school year he joined James Dickie and Alec Dalgleish in a commercial art studio.
His print Off To Sea was selected as one of "FIFTY B.C. ARTIST PICTURES" from the 1934 B.C. Artists exhibition, that were sent for a show at the Edmonton Art Gallery (dates unknown). An insurance form covering the shipment of the artworks (total value $2,296.00) noted that Goranson's print was selling for $1.00 per print.
He won a cover design contest in partnership with Orville Fisher for the Vancouver Province's special edition clebrating Vancouver's Golden Jubilee in 1936. The two artists were joined by E.J. Hughes and completed some large mural commissions, including the First United Church in Vancouver, and the B.C. Government Pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair in San Francisco. He also worked on murals at the Malaspina Hotel, Nanaimo, later covered over by renovation work. The murals were recently rediscovered and are in the process of being restored.
He exhibited one drypoint etching with the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1940.
In 1941 he had work in the RCA's 62nd Annual exhibition, held at the Art Association of Montreal.
Goranson was a war artist in the Second World War, serving with a bomber squadron and even going on a raid with them. In 1941 Goranson had a solo exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and another solo exhibition in 1950. He wrote a three page letter to the Gallery Director J.A. Morris, dated Feb. 19, 1950, in which he talked about his life and artwork.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
| DATE | EXHIBITION | LOCATION |
| 1941 June 10 - 22 | Solo Exhibition | VAG |
| 1950 Feb. 28 - March 19 | Solo Exhibition - Prints | VAG |
| DATE | EXHIBITION | TITLE |
| 1932 Oct. 5 - 30 | VAG B.C. Artists 1st Annual | B.C. Rockies |
| Water Colour Sketch | ||
| 1934 Sept. 21 - Oct. 14 | VAG B.C. Artists 3rd Annual | Off to Sea |
| Eileen | ||
| Betty | ||
| 1934 ? - ? | VAG B.C. Artists Edmonton Exhibition | Off to Sea |
| 1935 December 6 - 15 | VAG Goranson, Hughes, Fisher | (?) |
| 1936 Feb. 21 - Mar. 5 | PASOVAS Annual Group Show | (drypoints) |
| 1936 August 11 - 23 | VAG Goranson, Hughes, Fisher | Evening on False Creek |
| Hoisting the Anchors | ||
| Gospel Rock | ||
| A Group of Unemployed | ||
| Arbutus & Fir | ||
| Ships' Graveyard | ||
| On the Ways | ||
| Coloured Model | ||
| Storm on the Sound | ||
| The Old Hull | ||
| "Ed." | ||
| 1936 Dec. 8 - 20 | VAG Christmas Black & White Exhibition | Arbutus and Fir |
| 1936 Dec. 8 - 20 | VAG Goranson, Hughes, Fisher | On the Ways |
| The Old Hull | ||
| Coloured Model | ||
| Gospel Rock, Gibson's Landing | ||
| Arbutus & Fir | ||
| A Group of Unemployed | ||
| Study of Head | ||
| Storm on the Sound | ||
| Hoisting Anchors | ||
| Rainy Day, False Creek | ||
| 1937 April 16 - May 1 | BCSFA 27th Annual | The Salvaged Liner |
| The Sentinel of Stanley Park | ||
| 1937 Dec. 3 - 19 | VAG Goranson, Hughes, Fisher | (prints) |
| 1938 April 29 - May 15 | BCSFA 28th Annual Exhibition | Elsie |
| Mural Sketch, Descent From the Cross | ||
| Shacks, Rivers Inlet | ||
| Study of Head | ||
| 1939 Sept. 15 - Oct. 8 | VAG B.C. Artists 8th Annual | Tree Fallers |
| Hemlock | ||
| 1940 Sept. 20 - Oct. 13 | VAG B.C. Artists 9th Annual | Purse Seiners |
| 1941 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 | VAG B.C. Artists 10th Annual | The Artist's Father (Drypoint) |
SOUVENIR CATALOGUE OF EXHIBITIONS OPENING THE NEW VANCOUVER ART GALLERY (refer to VAG51)
CANADIAN DRAWINGS AND PRINTS by Paul Duval
1952 (reprinted 1964); no ISBN; published by Burns and MacEachern, Toronto
Front matter 16 pages; 100 black and white plates; index of artists, works, collections
Includes The Salvaged Liner by Goranson, also other Western artists
100 YEARS OF B.C. ART (refer to VAG58)
4th BURNABY NATIONAL PRINT SHOW (refer to BAG67)
FROM DESOLATION TO SPLENDOUR (refer to FDTS77)
ROYAL CANADIAN ACADEMY OF ARTS - EXHIBITIONS & MEMBERS 1880 - 1979
(refer to RCA81)
2 paintings in 2 exhibitions listed for Goranson.
ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)
PRINTMAKING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 1889-1983 (refer to AGGV83)
VANCOUVER: ART & ARTISTS 1931 - 1983 (refer to VAG83)
IMAGES OF THE LAND - CANADIAN BLOCK PRINTS 1919 - 1945 (refer to GLEN84)
A DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ARTISTS (refer to M)
CANVAS OF WAR - Painting the Canadian Experience 1914 to 1945
2000, by Dean F. Oliver, Laura Brandon; Foreword by J.L. Granatstein
Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., ISBN 1-55054-772-0
178 pages illustrated in colour and b&w
Includes reproductions of Goranson's paintings, biographical information.
ART BC, MASTERWORKS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA by Ian M. Thom
2000, Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., ISBN 1-55054-808-5
232 pages illustrated in colour and b&w
Goranson biography page 56, work "Purse Seiner" illustrated page 57.
VANCOUVER ARTIST: Paul Goranson
2001 January; by Michael Clark, Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design.
Visions newsletter, Volume 7 Issue 2, page 6.
One page biography with 2 illustrations of his work.
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA
(refer to BIAC03)
6 references listed for Goranson, including WWNA, M and RCA listed above.
WATERFRONT by James P. Delgado, Executive Director, Vancouver Maritime Museum
"The illustrated maritime story of Greater Vancouver"
Published by Vancouver Maritime Museum and Stanton Atkins & Dosil Publishers
2005, ISBN 0-9732346-5-2, 186 pages hardcover first edition with dust jacket
Includes list of sources, index, credits, acknowledgements
Extensively illustrated in colour and black and white with art and photographs
Artwork reproduced from Atkins Feckless Collection includes print by Goranson
OUR CHANGING LANDSCAPE (2008) (refer to BAG08)
VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)
THE FECKLESS COLLECTION (refer to FECK18)
"The three artists, Paul Goranson, Orville Fisher, and
Edward Hughes, are young British Columbia men "who are contributing a
lively note to the Art of B.C." ... "
From "Art Exhibit in Faculty Room of Library"
The Ubyssey, February 1936
"... artists invited to join the club for the exhibition include: ... Paul Goransen (sic) ... "
From "PASOVAS EXHIBIT - Pioneer Art Students' Show"
Vancouver Province, February 21 1936
"Dry-points are shown by E.J. Hughes, Paul Goranson
and Orville Fisher, three gifted young men whose
recent exhibition in the Art Gallery will be remembered by visitors."
From "FINE PASOVAS ART EXHIBITION"
Vancouver Sun (?), February 21 1936
"The twin contributions each of E.J. Hughes, Paul Goranson, and
Orville Fisher, in black and white, are exceptional. ... "
From "PASOVAS CLUB - Annual Display on View at Art Gallery"
News Herald, February 1936
"Orville Fisher, Edward
Hughes, and Paul Goranson became known
all over Canada through their mural paintings in the First United
Church, while their exhibition of Dry Points and Etchings in the
Art Gallery last December were widely praised."
From "GRADUATES IN ART" by Cintra
(unknown newspaper), April 25 1936
"Paul Goranson's "Arbutus and Fir," ... would look well in a home."
From "Buy a Picture for Christmas"
Vancouver Sun, December 1936
"The Goranson-Fisher-Hughes' exhibition in the Reproduction Room has a special
interest, because this year the young artists are showing colored lino-block prints
in place of the black-and-whites that featured their earlier Gallery exhibitions."
From "Buy a Picture for Christmas"
Vancouver Sun, December 1936
"Paul Goranson has a very good black and white and a good study of a head"
From "Fine Showing By B.C. Artists Follows Conventional Lines" by E.N.B.
Vancouver Province, April 30 1938
"Artists represented in the group comprise the following ... Paul Goranson ... "
From "Maritime Art Association"
Vancouver Art Gallery Bulletin, November (?), 1939
"Other works accepted include: ... a dry point of his father by Paul Goranson."
From "Western Artists Capture Interest At Toronto Show"
by Palette
Vancouver Province, November 20 1941
"Recently the voice of Paul Goranson,
now war artist and flight-lieutenant in the R.C.A.F., was heard
over a short-wave broadcast from Holland. Since joining the air
force this well-known Vancouver artist has been on a ship
torpedoed 10 days out at sea. He was picked up by a French
corvette but unfortunately lost sketches which had to be
remade from memory.
The artist has also been attached to a R.C.A.F. training
centre in England and while in Tunisia made drawings in the
holy city of Kairouan. Apparently as energetic as ever, judging
from his voice, Paul Goranson is now among the snows and mud
of Holland recording some of the achievements of the R.C.A.F. in those parts."
From "Collection of Eastern Artist Features Art Gallery Display" by
Palette
Vancouver Province, January 24 1945