Biography
Sybil Andrews (1898-1992) was an English-Canadian printmaker known for her dynamic, stylized linocuts. The process of making a linocut involves carving an image into a linoleum block, inking it and printing it. Andrews’ bold use of colour and line helped to capture energetic motion in her work. Andrews began her artistic career as a welder’s apprentice, working in an airplane factory in World War I while also taking an art correspondence course which led to her becoming an art teacher at the Portland House School. She went on to study at Heatherley’s School of Fine Art in London and later taught at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art before moving to Canada.
In 1947, Sybil and her husband, Walter Morgan moved to British Columbia where they settled on Campbell River and made a living welding ships. In the 1970s-80s, Andrews’ artwork was ‘rediscovered’, receiving widespread acclaim and recognition - a local celebrity on Vancouver Island. Andrews lived until 1992, working as an artist and teacher in Campbell River. Her impressive original prints are held in many significant museum collections including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Glenbow Museum in Calgary.
