Bow Lake in the Canadian Rockies has inspired artists for almost a century. An early explorer who recognized the beauty of this alpine landscape was Jimmy Simpson, a legendary guide and outfitter who also collected art and painted in watercolours. He welcomed artists such as Carl Rungius, Belmore Browne and Peter and Catharine Whyte to his camp beside Bow Lake, which eventually became the storied Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. A.C. Leighton and his wife, Barbara, along with Walter J. Phillips were among the early artists at Bow Lake. This artistic tradition has been carried on with the current artist-in-residence program at Num-Ti-Jah, attracting many contemporary artists to paint the spectacular landscape. This volume includes an introduction describing the history of exploration and the early artistic activity generated by Jimmy Simpson, followed by brief biographies of 18 contemporary artists whose works are also included in the 47 colour plates, all documented and described, of which only 6 have ever been published before.

Jane Gooch is the author of three books that illustrate landscape art inspired by special places in the Canadian Rockies: Artists of the Rockies: Inspiration of Lake O'Hara (Alpine Club of Canada and Rockies Network, 2003), Mount Assiniboine: Images in Art (Rocky Mountain Books, 2007), and, most recently, Bow Lake: Wellspring of Art (Rocky Mountain Books, 2010). These books combine her love of hiking with a lifelong interest in arts and letters. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and holds a doctorate in Renaissance Drama from the University of Toronto. Jane resides in Vancouver and has taught for years in the English Department of the University of British Columbia. Her next book celebrates the art of Mount Robson and will be published by Rocky Mountain Books in 2013 to honour the centennial of Mount Robson Park.

Jane Lytton Gooch's profile page