Harry B. Jackson, Letter to Blodwen Davies, April 29, 1931

Monroe, Mich
Apr. 29^th 31

Dear Miss Davies, –

In answer to yours of the 13^th..

In regards to my association with Tom Thomson, We were connected with the art department of the Grip Ltd., both of us doing commercial art work & spending our holidays & week ends in the country sketching – fishing.

In May 1912 Tom & I camped at Tee [Tea] Lake Dam in Algonquin Park, it was at that time I made the portrait sketch. Later in the season Broadhead & Tom made the trip north & did not return until late in the summer. I did not accompany them as my vacation was limited to a few weeks;

It was on this trip with Broadhead that Tom started to paint. In the fall of the same year his efforts was shown to the public, the Nat. Gallery accepting one of the larger canvasses & a private party taking most of his other sketches:

Prior to this trip Toms oils were mostly notes or thumb-box sketches. I do not think he ever had the idea his work would ever be taken seriously, in fact he used to chuckle over the idea. […]

Tom studied from life & the antique in art school. If I remember right Cruikshank was the instructor.

In painting, he followed his own ideas his work shows no instruction was needed from outside:

I met some people in the park last summer that had met Tom when he was acting as guide to fishing parties. This was news to me it seems he was doing that line of work along with his painting; […]

I remain Yours Sincerely
Harry B. Jackson