Emerald Lake

Roland Gissing (1895-1967) was a landscape painter known for his depictions of the western Canadian foothills and Rocky Mountains. Born in Willersey, Worcestershire, England, he was the son of novelist Algernon Gissing and nephew of writer George Gissing. He received limited formal art training at George Watson's College in Edinburgh in the early 1900s, where his exposure to western films sparked his interest in the North American frontier. Immigrating to Calgary, Alberta in 1913 at age eighteen, Gissing spent the next decade working as a cowboy on ranches from the Peace River country to Mexico. During this period, he met notable western figures including artist Charlie Russell in Montana and writer Will James in Nevada, both of whom encouraged his early sketches of ranch life.

In 1923, Gissing homesteaded on the east bank of the Ghost River west of Cochrane, Alberta, where the beauty of the foothills and Rocky Mountains inspired him to pursue painting professionally. His neighbor, Captain Malcolm Mortimer of the Ghost Ranch, provided crucial early support by purchasing sketches and providing art materials, including an easel previously used by actor Lionel Barrymore. Prominent Canadian artist C.W. Jefferys, who visited the Mortimer Ranch, also encouraged Gissing to continue developing his artistic practice. Initially working in pastels and watercolours, Gissing transitioned to oils in 1930, spending three years experimenting with the medium that would define his mature style. His first solo exhibition was held at the Calgary Public Library in 1929, followed by his first major oil exhibition at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede in 1934. A devastating fire in 1944 destroyed his home, studio, and numerous paintings, but he rebuilt and continued painting with renewed vigor.

Gissing became an associate member of the Alberta Society of Artists in 1930 and a full member in 1947. His painting practice involved extensive travel throughout Alberta, often using packhorse or automobile to reach remote locations where he would camp for weeks, creating oil sketches on 12 x 16 inch canvases. His work gained significant recognition during Alberta's oil boom following the 1947 Leduc discovery, with many paintings purchased by affluent oil industry executives. He completed a series documenting the history and development of Alberta's oil industry, which was exhibited across North America in 1951. In 1957, Gissing moved to a twenty-acre property near Okotoks, south of Calgary, where he continued painting until his death on September 29, 1967. His works are held in numerous collections including those of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and various museums across Canada.