Virden artist renowned for paintings depicting Westman

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This article was published 29/03/2018 (2772 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VIRDEN — In the twilight of a painting career spanning more than six decades, Terry McLean hasn’t achieved all his goals.

The 82-year-old admits he never would, no matter how long he deftly renders the wide spaces and lonely acres of the Assiniboine Valley.

“I don’t have next goals much at this age,” said McLean, from the basement outside Virden he and his wife Ethel had built with a workshop in mind. It’s high-ceilinged to fit his largest works, flush with a hundred paint brushes, treasured artwork and shelves stacked with wildlife magazines.

“I’ve got as good as I’m going to get,” he said of his painting aptitude. “And that’s the only thing that isn’t as good as I want it to be.”

McLean usually works a few hours a day. He doesn’t have the stamina or physical endurance to paint as long as he once did. But he has no plans to quit.

McLean raises his right hand. It doesn’t shake yet, he said.

Recognized as one of western Canada’s most distinguished nature painters, McLean’s work remains stellar. Recently, he sold a painting for $10,000 — the highest price he’s ever garnered.

His depictions of rural wildfire are enthralling, inspired by photos he’s taken in his travels around Westman. In recent paintings, McLean portrayed an oil pump on a golden field or a buck primed for a fight during mating season.

McLean is a self-taught artist. “Homemade,” as he puts it. He couldn’t guess how many paintings he’s put his signature to.

In 1987, McLean switched from oil paintings to drawing with acrylics. The difference its accorded is outstanding, evident in each whisker of a fox he painted.

McLean lives a mile east of Virden on a property in his family’s name for a century. The McLean’s settled there from Prince Edward Island.

His dad became a fur trader. The year Terry was born — 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression — wearing fur was no longer in style.

As his father switched to casual trapping, he took Terry along as they roamed the woods. From there perhaps, Terry sketched what he saw: animals, trees and fields.

He recalls once sketching an elephant on the board in his Grade 2 class like everyone else. McLean was walking back to his desk when he heard his teacher shout his name. What did he do wrong, he thought?

“‘Did you just draw that? No pictures or anything,” his teacher said in disbelief.

As he grew up, McLean gradually spent more time on his art.

He worked eight years as a postal clerk and 11 years checking on oil wells. At the age of 40, he quit his oil job, choosing to paint full-time and get to work on his 44 commissions.

He’s been free to follow his paintings ever since. Over the years, his work has graced offices, magazine covers, greeting cards and pocketbook reminiscences. He was hired to paint a 46-foot mural to mark Canada’s centennial.

He found a niche transferring his paintings onto decorative plates. Five thousand of his most popular images an owl amid a crystalline’s winter night, were sold in 18 months.

Altogether, he easily sold tens of thousands of collector’s plates. His popularity extended to a convention of collectors in the state of New York, where he signed autographs.

“For a poor prairie boy who taught himself to paint, it’s a joke,” he said.

In 1990, McLean opened his art gallery on Seventh Avenue in Virden. He mostly sold prints and giftware.

The store has since been emptied after last September’s downtown fire, which gutted several storefronts in Virden. His business neighboured the one where the fire started, but is still standing. McLean’s paintings were retrieved by firefighters and are currently being treated.

Should his paintings be restored, which he hopes, he wants to open up his gallery for only a few days. He will be done as a retailer after that.

McLean said he’s never given much thought to the recognition he’s garnered throughout the continent for his artwork, but is grateful nonetheless.

“It’s nice, but not much more (than that),” he said. “Your life runs out no matter what, and you’re no better than anyone else.”

McLean has one son, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

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