Artist Information
Artist
Rosemary James Cross (1924-2016)Role
PainterDate made
n.d.Time Period
20th CenturyNotes
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Born in Victoria, B.C., Rosemary James Cross was a talented, albeit little known Canadian artist, the daughter of prominent Victoria, B.C. architect P. Leonard James (and amateur watercolour painter) who, with partner Francis Rattenbury, designed Victoria's Crystal Garden that housed exotic gardens, dance floors and a saltwater pool.
After high school graduation, Cross worked for her father, becoming a capable draughtsperson. She later taught drawing at the Provincial Craft School in Fredericton, New Brunswick where she achieved a certain measure of recognition. Cross returned to Victoria and she exhibited her art in local community venues. She trained under Ina D.D. Uhthoff (1889-1971) and was a member of The Group XIV, a group of dedicated amateur artists in Victoria. The Group provided support and an outlet for artists without commercial gallery representation.
Cross traveled in Canada, China and India, with architecture or the built environment as the focus of her work. She used her photographs as source material, and was reportedly not interested in painting on location. Though most of her paintings never left her studio, she diligently continued working on her craft. Of note, a month-long retrospective of 50 of her works was held at Goward House in Victoria in 2014. In later years, Cross researched and wrote a biography of her architect father, and she received an Architectural Institute of British Columbia medal in recognition of her contribution to the field.
For further information see -
Rosemary James Cross, "The Life and Times of Victoria Architect P. Leonard James" (2007), available in the UCBC Library.
