FORSYTHE, Basil Graham Local landscape artist, Graham Forsythe, passed away suddenly in March, 2012, while in Florida, painting a series of vibrant beach scenes for an upcoming show. He was predeceased by his father, Henry Albert Forsythe known as Basil (2006) and sister, Jacqueline Thornton (2007). He is survived by his son, Quinn Forsythe, mother, Margaret Forsythe, sister, Margaret Robinson, and dear friend and former wife Marilyn Forsythe. Graham was born in 1952 in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and immigrated with his family to Toronto in 1955. His Irish Heritage always meant a great deal to him. He graduated from Woburn Collegiate and funded his education at the University of Guelph by working in his grandfather's paving company, earning a BA degree in 1974. He worked at a variety of jobs, including sheep farming in New Zealand, construction in Australia, commercial fishing in Ireland and Canada, and timber cruising in the Queen Charlotte Islands - all while writing short stories and psychological thrillers. In 1981 he formed the company Seagull Paving in Victoria and operated it until eye surgeries in 1991 illuminated his visual world. He sold the company to devote himself to a career in art - to follow his bliss, as Joseph Campbell would say. Though primarily self-taught, Graham studied informally under the Dutch landscapist, George Buytendorp, and the artist and art professor, Victor Arcega. In time, he shared his knowledge with fellow artists and young art students. Art galleries and private collectors worldwide began to purchase his magnificent landscapes and seascapes, luminous abstracts and still-lifes, and many enthusiasts treasure prints of his work. His award-winning paintings have been featured in many publications and exhibitions, and currently hang in a number of Canadian galleries, including the Madrona Gallery in Victoria. The work of Dr. Colin T. Campbell led to Graham's conversion to a plant-based diet and heightened his concern for the environment. As a critical thinker, he concurred with the sentiment: If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn't thinking, or, as someone once said: When you follow the herd, you step in… S#@*! Graham embraced the sea, whether capturing its vitality on canvas, sailing, swimming, diving, or engaging in the sport Quinn taught him - surfing. His humble and honorable heart ceased beating mere moments after surfing the waves, mere moments before picking up his palette. Graham, we trust that when we meet again, you'll be availing yourself of a spectrum of color we can't even begin to imagine, that you'll be striving to capture on canvas the quality of light illuminating the studio you now inhabit with your little sister, Jacqueline. Take a moment now and then to indulge your shared love of music by playing a strings and keyboard duet. We're listening.
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www.grahamforsythe.com Published by Victoria Times-Colonist on Oct. 13, 2012.
