Imagine a painter who was so dedicated to his craft that he tumbled off mountains and jumped from moving trains just to get the perfect vantage! Well that was A C Leighton!
Alfred Crocker Leighton was born in Hastings, Sussex, and from a very young age had a passion for art.
In his early life, he served in the Royal Air force, and once he returned from the war he worked as a toy designer for a British engineering company.
He first arrived in Canada in 1924 after being hired by the Canadian Pacific Railway to make commercial artwork for their marketing campaigns.
In exchange for housing and transportation, the railway retained first right of purchase for all of Leighton’s work. Unfortunately they kept most of it in their London office which was destroyed in WWII.
Leighton was known for his dedication to capturing Canada’s landscapes. He reportedly fell off cliffs with his horse and even jumped from moving trains to get the perfect vantage for his pieces.
His adventurous spirit gained him his reputation as an artist willing to go to extreme lengths to paint Canada’s wilderness.
After his passing, his wife Barbara created the Leighton Art Center to preserve his legacy and inspire new artists.