Twenty-Nine Years with A.Y. Jackson – Coming Soon

Step into the rugged beauty of Northern Ontario and experience the extraordinary world of legendary Canadian painter A.Y. Jackson through the eyes of his close friend and travelling companion, Henry Urquhart “Harry” Ross.

Twenty-Nine Years with A.Y. Jackson is a deeply personal memoir that captures nearly three decades of friendship, artistic adventure, and wilderness exploration shared with one of the founding members of the famed Group of Seven. Beginning with a chance encounter in 1945 and spanning until Jackson’s death in 1974, this remarkable account follows Harry and his family as they journey alongside the iconic artist through the forests, rivers, shores, and hidden harbours of Algoma and Lake Superior country.

Rich with firsthand stories, humour, and historical insight, the memoir reveals Jackson not only as a world-renowned painter, but also as an adventurous outdoorsman, mentor, storyteller, and loyal friend. Readers are taken aboard sketching trips to Michipicoten Bay, Gargantua Harbour, Pukaskwa, Batchewana Bay, Wawa, and countless remote northern locations that inspired some of Jackson’s celebrated works.

The book also features an extraordinary collection of rare photographs and reproductions of Jackson’s sketches created during these travels, many preserved from original Kodak slides and personal archives. Through campfire stories, canoe journeys, fishing camps, storms on Lake Superior, and quiet moments of artistic reflection, readers gain a rare and intimate portrait of the man behind the paintings.

Both a historical treasure and a heartfelt memoir, Twenty-Nine Years with A.Y. Jackson is an essential read for lovers of Canadian art, Group of Seven history, Northern Ontario heritage, wilderness adventure, and the enduring power of friendship.