THe alf’s History
Founding Artists Margot, Molly, Bea, Olga, Delia with Imke standing.
The Al Frescoes Plein Air Painters of Victoria grew out Delia’s plein air group of the Federation of Canadian Artists (Victoria Chapter).
At one time this plein air group was the Monday Sketch Group until we settled on the Italian term for painting outside – “The Al Frescoes.”
Our early history involved founders Delia Sansom and Molly Greene Mitchell who used to
meet in the city and paint places such as Beacon Hill Park, James Bay, the Ledge, Fisherman’s Wharf,
you name it, they painted it. Other artists began to join in, enjoying the company,
the outdoors and the no rules or dues environment. We number about eighty artists in Greater Victoria
with occasional ad hoc members from across the Malahat and the international channel.
Founding artist Delia Sansom writes…
“Although Ron Wilson refers to me as the Head Artist or something like that, it’s really only because I instigated the group when it was requested from within the FCA. I was programme coordinator that particular year. I believe I’m the only ‘survivor’ of that very plein air beginning.”
Others who joined with me soon after were Pat Fraser, Olga Stratholt, Alvina Green, Imke Pearson, Margot Clayton and Bea Davies.
Molly’s friend Jesi Barron Remembers…
“Now I met Molly around 1978, we would meet for life drawing at Windsor Park.”
“The group was to form life friendships. There were a few shows. Some shows in Vancouver. We had a great time. Molly had a studio downtown. I didn’t go out with Molly to paint. but we shared what we had been doing. Lots of dinner and drinks. Then one day I was in town and bumped into her at the Victoria Art Gallery. She was very ill and said there wasn’t any time left, I felt very sad. She was only watching tv.She had lost John. That was about it. She always called me the young one. They were a few years older.”
Alpha Alf, Ron Wilson Recalls…
“I think the group started around about 1996, and Delia had called the group the ‘Monday Sketch Group‘.
Around then, at a group Christmas lunch in Windsor Park, Delia and I were talking about the group, and since we were painting in the outdoors together, I thought it would nice to call our group, the “Al Frescoes” – “outdoors” in Italian.”
Clement Kwan, Ron Wilson and Keith Hiscock
We Al Frescoes welcomed the greats such as Kwan, Wilson, Noonan, Faulks, Tilby, Hiscock, Scott, Vine, Boron, McFarland, McPartlin and more who have come painting with us over the years.
