James Fenwick Lansdowne

James Fenwick Lansdowne, OC OBC RCA 1937 – 2008 was a self-taught Canadian wildlife artist.

Having been struck down with polio as a small child Landsdowne was encouraged and nurtured by his artist mother, teaching hi to walk and providing him with his 1st art lessons. Due to his Polio he walked with crutches and only could paint with his left hand. While in high school, the staff of the Royal British Columbia Museum encouraged him in studying birds. He held his first show in 1952 at the Royal British Columbia Museum when he was fourteen, his second show at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1956. He had his first international exhibition in New York in 1958 at the headquarters of the National Audubon Society. In 1960, he had an exhibition at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, then, in 1961, he had an exhibition at the Tryon Gallery (today`s Rountree Tryon Gallery) in London, England. From then on, he exhibited his work in centres world-wide. In 1976, Lansdowne was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1995, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia. In 1974, he was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.