Canada's beautiful scenery has always been a rich source of inspiration to artists. From the notebooks of the earliest explorers to the easels of contemporary Canadian artists, portrayal of the landscape is one of the most enduring themes in Canadian art.

Logan's sketch, Pillar Sandstones of Tourelle, Lower St. Lawrence, taken from his 1844 note book.

It should come as little surprise that geologists have made a contribution in this area. After all, keen observation of the landscape is one of the most fundamental activities of geology. Consider too, that geologists were often the first explorers to reach many parts of Canada and even today travel extensively to the most remote parts of our country.

"The Flint Mill on the Avon, Sterlingshire"

William Logan, founder and first director of the Geological Survey of Canada (1842 - 1869), was born to a well-to-do Montreal family. As such, he would have received a classical education that included training in the fine arts. Throughout his extensive travels, Logan did many water colours and drawings of the landscapes of Canada and Europe for his own personal enjoyment. While working he often supplemented his geological observations with thumbnail sketches of the site being studied. Drawings from his field journals tell us much about field work in those days.