Whenever I got robbed it was for good reason. The robber needed the money more than me.

Canoes are too small to accommodate clashing personalities

1917 Portage Ragged Lake #tt1917

It was Fred Varley who originally encouraged me to devote more time to art.

You can judge a moose by the size of its antlers. Too bad there's no similar rule for judging men.

I attended the theathre wherever I could.

The essence of life is creative but our manner of living is not creative.

A lovely landscape cannot appreciated by an unlovely mind.

Park Advice: A year employment in the bush will cure anyone in the incipient stages of consumption

1914 Hills and Swirling Sky #tt1914

Trying to be naive and not intellectual gives you the better product.

Of the creatures that alter the landscape in the North, beavers run a far second to our fellow man.

It was Lismer's readiness to accept and explore new land that made us such good companions.

The critics were frightened of my grasp of colour.

Beavers are their most industrious in the fall. Aspens and alders are at their most vulnerable.

Jimmy MacDonald helped me to incorporate strong design principles in my work.

1915-16 A Spring Decoration

Early Fall and Late Fall are a wonderful times in the North. All the summer tourists are gone.

From my Uncle Brodie I learned to observe nature closely and appreciate its detail when sketching.

Mississauga is considered the finest canoe trip in the world. #ttletter

Toronto World Feb 13, 1917: Canadian Club Speen - when volunteering doesn't work, use force

I consider my sketches as records of their own, not preparatory works for canvases.

The mechanized god of war has outraced the right of man to live

My sketching style evolved quickly because the North demands quick adaptation to its environment.

Today, the choice of public service leads to probable death - President's Message Varsity War Supplement,1916

The smell of balsam fir is much preferable to coal smoke and raw sewage

No need to shout at the Almighty, he won't listen

1916 The Red Maple, Algonquin Park #tt1916

Toronto World Feb 12, 1917

Look for the specifics of nature to find its higher beauty

Good fishing to be had at Gill Lake.

Harris once said, "There is so very much in whitness," referring to the colours of snow

Without a pipe of tobacco and a good drink nothing can be done.

1915 Red Leaves #tt1915

I would accompany my Uncle Brodie for extensive hikes in the ravines, along the Scarborough Bluffs

I returned in 1905 to Toronto and began life as a letterman in a commercial art firm.

My painting technique was described as 'paint thrusted and smashed onto the board with axe-like swings'