Welcome to the Cranbrook & District Arts Council

Excerpt from the Cranbrook Daily Townsman

"Local artist John Crago believes he has to work with four eyes: his own, and those of a good critic.

'You've got to have those other eyes that see it as it is,' he says. 'To see that painting how you would see it I would have to put it in the attic for a year. Then when I took it down I'd see what you see. I'd see all the mistakes.'

Crago says he learns from constructive criticism. The oil painter also learns from studying the world around him. He says he's always looking at the shape of clouds and flowers and the contours of people's faces.

'I think probably anybody that paints, in whatever medium, studies everything,' says Crago.

Crago doesn't have a preferred subject matter. He says he'll paint anything, but he admits he enjoys doing portraits.

'Portraits I find are a real challenge,' he says, 'when you look at people, we're all the same. It's like building a house.'

For Crago, the challenge lies in putting together a face that is accurate, but also flattering.

'I find you have to enhance the person. If you accept a commission to do a portrait, if they don't like it they don't pay for it,' he says.

Crago aims for photo realism with most of his work.

'I use a photograph where I can,' he says. 'Other than sitting out in the street you have to work from a photograph.'

However, Crago doesn't necessarily stick to exactly what's in a photo. Sometimes he changes the scenery, or adds and removes people.

'That's one thing about photographs. You can change the season if you want,' he says.

Crago has a small repertoire of characters he re-uses in his paintings, the most noticeable of which are a cluster of pigeons and a man with a bowler hat and cane. He doesn't use them in all of his paintings, however.

'You never know, you may never use them again,' he says.

Crago was born in Edmonton, but lived in Victoria for about 40 years. He made his way to Cranbrook around 1992.

When Crago came to Cranbrook he was also particularly impressed by the Cranbrook and District Arts Council.

'I think the Arts Council does a terrific job,' he says. '[The directors] give a lot of their time.' He says that there were so many artists and so much inspiration he had an 'art attack'."

For more information about this artist, contact The Cranbrook & District Arts Council at (250) 426-4223 or EMAIL us.

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