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More About Arnold Isbister
Arnold Isbister (A.J. Isbister) was a creative child, often chosen to do artwork in class. But this talented First Nations artist didn’t begin seriously painting until he was given a set of oil paintings as a young man. Isbister was quickly smitten with painting and spent long hours alone playing with colour, composition and technique.
In 1975, the self-taught artist was granted a scholarship to the International Banff Centre of Fine Arts. There Isbister studied drawing and painting before moving on to the University of Saskatchewan in 1976. After three years in a Bachelor of Fine Arts program, he made the decision to switch his major to psychology with the intent of establishing a career that would support his family.
As so often happens, Isbister’s art became a hobby until fate stepped in. After 15 years of employment, a friend made a strong suggestion after viewing some of Isbister’s work. As Arnold Isbister puts it: “He said, ‘Arnie, what the *^#* are you doing here? Get outa this Hell Hole and do something with this!”
Career Switch
Arnold Isbister took his friend’s advice and the rest is art history for this Saskatchewan First Nations artist.
Isbister’s abstract, surreal and expressionist paintings have caught the attention of the art world. He has had many solo exhibitions and participated in group exhibitions throughout Canada and the United States. His work has been shown in New York City, Nashville, Seattle, New Jersey, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver among other places.
Today, Isbister continues to paint. He also weaves writing and painting together to form a rich tapestry in which to display his thoughts, ideas and culture. In 2005, Wingate Press published his first book, Stories Moshum & Kokum Told Me. Arnold Isbister plans to write and paint more books in the future.
More than a First Nations Artist
A, J. Isbister is Cree and grew up living the kind of lifestyle rarely seen today. His memories of watching the glow of the fire in his family’s cosy log cabin and listening to his parents and the occasional visitor tell traditional stories affect his work to this day.
But for Isbister, his First Nations heritage isn’t all that goes into his work. “Being Native, I chose to depict images/feelings in a culturally molded frame, but my heritage does not exclude me from employing other frames to convey other images,” he has said.
Things to know about Arnold Isbister and his paintings:
- He has presented one of his paintings to HRH Prince Charles.
- He has a painting in the permanent collection of the National Indian Art Centre in Ottawa.
- A second passion is teaching visual arts to troubled youth and mentoring young artists in the business of being a professional artist.