This dramatic landscape by John Kinnear, titled Canada West, captures the raw, untamed character of the western Canadian wilderness through bold impasto and vigorous palette-knife work. A winding river sweeps across the foreground in luminous strokes of white and ochre, its surface catching the cold light of a pale sky. On either bank, dark evergreens rise in jagged silhouettes, their forms carved out in thick, sculptural layers of paint.

Across the middle ground, a cluster of fiery autumn foliage ignites the composition—brilliant oranges and yellows standing in striking contrast to the deep browns, blacks, and umbers of the surrounding terrain. Behind them, the mountains rise in broad, textured planes, their rugged surfaces rendered in sweeping gestures that emphasize scale and distance. Cool violet tones in the far hills create an atmospheric sense of space, suggesting early morning light or the onset of colder weather.

Kinnear’s handling is energetic and expressive, with every stroke reinforcing the untamed beauty of the western landscape. The painting conveys both the solitude and grandeur of Canada’s interior, offering a powerful and quintessentially Canadian vision anchored in colour, texture, and movement.