BRITISH COLUMBIA ARTISTS  

Harold Thomas Faulkner Smith

August 18 1892 - December 8 1972

Vancouver Sketch Club
B.C. Society of Fine Arts (Member 1921-1929
B.C. Society of Fine Arts/B.C. Society of Artists: Exhibitor's Timeline
British Columbia Artist (BCA, 1921)
Vancouver Exhibition
Provincial Exhibition
H. Faulkner Smith Academy of Art
H. Faulkner Smith School of Applied and Fine Art


H. Faulkner Smith was born in Staffordshire, England in 1893. He took art training at the Hanley School of Art in England, and from Samuel Alcock. He won a silver medal at the Royal College of Art, London England in 1913, and a commendation from the Board of Education, London, in 1910. He was a painter (watercolour, oil, pastel, and tempera), a sculptor, and a printmaker (etching, lithography).


Harold Faulkner Smith and his son Peter Faulkner Smith.
Photo Charles West, courtesy Randall Smith.

Smith exhibited his work in Vancouver as early as 1919, in exhibitions of the Vancouver Sketch Club.

He exhibited in the 1920 Annual Exhibition of the B.C. Society of Fine Arts, held at the Vancouver School Board offices on Hamilton Street. He was also in the Society's exhibitions in September 1921 and 1922, May 1925, June 1927, and 1950.


Smith letterhead dated 1932

He had work in exhibitions at the Vancouver Exhibition in 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1931. He won a bronze medal at the 1926 Provincial Exhibition in New Westminster, and exhibited three watercolours in the 1928 show. The 1928 exhibition catalogue noted that he was a resident of Vancouver, BC.


Smith painting in his studio.
Photo Charles West, courtesy Randall Smith.

He exhibited two watercolours at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1930.

He had solo exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1932, 1937, 1942, and 1947. He also exhibited with the Ontario Society of Artists in Toronto, 1921, the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, 1935, and at the Calgary Exhibition, 1935.


Smith posing for a photograph with a painting of the Vedder Range.
Photo courtesy Randall Smith.

He founded an art school in Vancouver in 1931, and the students showed their work in annual exhibitions at the Vancouver Art Gallery for a number of years. A school Prospectus has the following information about Smith:


Page from Prospectus, courtesy Randall Smith.

Director of the Academy
First Class Art Certificates, Board of Education, Whitehall, London, England
Silver Medalist, Royal College of Art, South Kensington, London, England
1st, 2nd, 3rd Year Scholarships Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, Hanley School of Art, Staffordshire, England
Art Teacher's Certificate, Work S.K.L.E.
Permanent Works, the New Vancouver Hotel and Hotel Georgia
Exhibited South Kensington, Ontario Society Painters in Water Colours, Toronto, Vancouver Art Gallery, and U.S.A.

Smith showed his own work in the gallery in the annual B.C. Artists exhibitions in 1932, 1933, 1934, and 1936.

Smith died in Burnaby in 1972 at the age of 79. His death certificate noted that he had retired in 1955 after 64 years of being an artist. At the time of his death he had been in Canada for 64 years, in B.C. for 59 years, and in Burnaby for 16 years. His father's family name was Smith, his mother's was Faulkner.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION LOCATION
1932 June 18 - 30 Watercolours, Oil Paintings, Etchings, Portraits VAG
1936 Aug. 26 - Sept. 3 Solo Exhibition VAG
1937 July 20 - Aug. 1 Oils, Watercolours, Drawings, Prints VAG
1942 Dec. 8 - 20 Solo Exhibition (54 pictures) VAG
1947 Mar. 18 - April 6 Solo Exhibition (31 pictures) VAG

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
DATE EXHIBITION ARTWORK
1919 Sept. 6 - ? Sketch Club    Monthly Exhibition The Lions
A Study of a Head
Portrait of his Sister
1920 April 10 Sketch Club    Monthly Exhibition (study in color)
1920 Sept. 18 - 25 BCSFA   Annual Exhibition Birch Trees, Winter, Mahon Park
The Barn, Staffordshire
Birches
1920 Dec. 4 - ? Sketch Club    Annual Exhibition Sheepfold, Staffordshire
1921 Sept. 19 - 24 BCSFA   13th Annual Bit of the Seymour
The Birch Trees
The Two Sheep
Early Morning
On the Capilano
1921 Nov. 5 Sketch Club    Monthly Exhibition (landscape)
1922 Sept. 16 - 23 BCSFA   14th Annual The Arena from Coal Harbor
Winter, North Vancouver
Burrard Mills
Evening After Rain
The G.T.P. Dock
1924 Aug. 9 - 16 Vancouver Exhibition   Annual Exhibition The Seymour Hills*
Storm Islands, Seymour Flats*
On the Hillside*
Figure Study
The Castle
The Pond
The Three Trees
1925 May 9 - 16 BCSFA   17th Annual Brass Plate Etching and Enamel
Winter
Decorative Pen Drawing
Mist on Grouse Mountain
Vancouver Hotel
1927 June 10 - 25 BCSFA   19th Annual Modelled Bust
The Birch Trees
Book Plate
Mist
1928 Sept. 3 - 8 Provincial Exhibition   Eighth Annual Salon The Two Sheep
Birches on the Saskatchewan
The Sand Sifters, Eburne, B.C.
1929 May 18 - June 8 BCSFA   21st Annual Sand Sifters
Spring on Lulu Island
Wong Lee Laundry
1929 October BCAL   Citizens' Loan of W/C Landscape
Trees
1930 Aug. 22 - Sept. 6 CNE   Water Colours Fraser River, B.C.
The Pool, Campbell River B.C.
1932 May - July VAG   All Canadian Exhibition The Pool, New Westminster, B.C.
Fraser River
Bronze Plaque
1932 Oct. 5 - 30 VAG   B.C. Artists 1st Annual The Pool, Westminster
Fraser River
The Tramp
1933 Feb. 13 - 18 Sylvia Court    West End Artists Exhibition (boat print)
1933 Sept. 22 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 2nd Annual Gypsy
Evening
Rowena
Study in Chalk
Les Adoreurs du Soleil
Water Lilies
1933 Dec. 1 - 17 VAG   B.C. Artists Christmas Exhibition Autumn North Vancouver
The Brook, North Vancouver
1934 Sept. 21 - Oct. 14 VAG   B.C. Artists 3rd Annual Sunlight and Shadows
Nasturtiums
Wong
On the B.C. Coast
Swine
Spring
1934 ? - ? VAG   B.C. Artists Edmonton Exhibition Nasturtiums
Wong
Spring
1935 Sept. 20 - Oct. 15 VAG   B.C. Artists 4th Annual Portrait Study
The Cove
Jessy
A Summer Sea, West Bay
Roses
The Plot, Etching
East and West, China Town Vancouver
Portrait, Bust Bronze
1936 Sept. 18 - Oct. 11 VAG   B.C. Artists 5th Annual Autumn - Stanley Park
Portrait Study - Tonia de Aragon
Fuschia
T.A. Smith, Esq.
1936 Oct. 15 - 20 VAG   B.C. Artists Chilliwack Exhibition Fuschia
T.A. Smith, Esq.
1950 April 25 - May 14 BCSA   40th Annual Evening Light, North Shore

Editor's note: the three paintings noted with * in the 1924 Vancouver Exhibition were listed in the exhibition catalogue as being painted by J. Faulkner Smith, the others listed as being painted by H. Faulkner Smith. It is not known if this is a typographical error or if there are two artists listed.

References

PROSPECTUS OF THE ACADEMY OF ART
      "The H. Faulkner Smith Academy of Art, Founded 1931"
      n.d, c 1936; 4 page pamphlet with short mission statement
      Includes biographical information about the founder Smith (see above)
           and a list of "students successfully placed as artists."

WHO'S WHO IN NORTHWEST ART (refer to WWNA41)
      Good summary of Smith's work to that date.

THE FINE ARTS IN VANCOUVER, 1886 - 1930 (refer to THOM69)

ARTISTS IN CANADA 1982 - UNION LIST OF ARTISTS' FILES (refer to AIC82)

Represented by The Gallery of the Golden Key (refer to GGK)

A CENTURY OF SCULPTURE (refer to SSBC98)

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF ARTISTS IN CANADA (refer to BIAC03)
      1 reference listed for Smith: Who's Who in Northwest Art.

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY - B.C. ARTISTS FILES (refer to VPL)

CITY & PROVINCIAL DIRECTORIES 1931-33 (refer to DIR)

Biographical information loaned by Randall Faulkner Smith includes all images on this page, all images on the page for the H.F. Smith School of Art, and other material not yet added to these files.

B.C. VITAL STATISTICS ON-LINE death (refer to BCVS)

Clippings

" ... "The Lions," "A Study of a Head," and "Portrait of his Sister" by Mr. Faul-Smith ... "
      From "Sketch Club Opens Winter Season's Work"
      Vancouver Daily Province, September 8 1919

"Mr. F. Smith contributed a charming little study, rich in color, good in tone and full of poetic feeling."
      From "Art Exhibits Fewer But Maintain Standard"
      Vancouver Daily Province, April 13 1920

"A number of studies by Mr. H. Faulkner-Smith are effective and show that the artist has been a student of nature."
      From "Freshness and Vitality in Exhibition of Vancouver Sketch Club"
      Western Woman's Weekly, June 5 1920

"Mr. Faul Smith has only sent one of the Sheepfold, Staffordshire, but we must mention the fact that he carried off the prize at the recent competition of posters."
      From "Annual Exhibit by Sketch Club"
      Vancouver Province, December 6 1920

"The "Two Sheep" (21) of H. Faulkner Smith is a restful study in evening browns and is of that placid kind of picture that is very satisfying to live with because one demands nothing of it; its sheep live in a contentment that precludes any discordant note being sounded in their presence.
      From "Pictures at B.C. Fine Arts" by J. Butterfield
      Vancouver Province, September 19 1921, page 12

"Among those whose pictures were sold were ... H. Faulkner Smith ..."
      From "By the Way in Art" per B.C. Art League
      Vancouver Province, October 6 1921, page 12

"The exhibitors were: ... Mr. A. Faulkner Smith, (sic) landscape; ... "
      From "Many View Sketch Club Exhibit and Much Work Shown"
      Vancouver Sun, November 7 1921

" ... and H. Faulkner Smith has a small but fascinating boat print."
      From "'West End' Show Of Art Works" by D.S.M.
      Vancouver Sun, February 15 1933

"He has more than 50 pictures on view in oils, water colors, pastels, etchings, pencil and chalk sketches, embracing a wide range of subjects."
      From "Art Exhibition Shows Work in Many Media"
      News Herald, July 20 1937


HOME