Q. How do I purchase a painting online?
A. Please use the "Enquire Online" button. We will reply to your request as soon as possible!
Q. Are the colours accurate?
A. We do our best! We can send more photographs or even chat over FaceTime to assist you.
Q. How are you sizing the artwork?
A. We use inches (H x W) and only list the canvas size without a frame.
Q. What does Framed or Unframed mean?
A. Unframed implies the artist intends the painting to be displayed without a frame. Traditionally, the canvas is finished on the sides with a black edge, or the image wraps around to the back. Framed implies that the artist intends the artwork to be framed, and the price includes the cost of framing by our gallery. We do not list the framed size, as you may choose framing options, depending on availability. Restrictions apply.
Q. Can I see how it looks at home?
A. We offer an approval system where you can take the artwork home or to your office to see how it fits with your space. This allows you to be sure about your choice before finalizing the purchase. For more details and terms, please contact us directly.
Q. Can paintings listed as Unframed be framed?
A. In many cases, yes. Please send us an enquiry regarding the painting you wish to be framed. Please note, the cost of custom framing is not listed on our website.
Q. Do you offer refunds?
A. We don't offer refunds due to the nature of what we bring to market, we do provide options for exchanges or store credit under specific conditions. Please refer to our Return & Exchange Policy for more details.
If you have any further questions or any of these Quick FAQ's are not clear, please contact us!
Brent R. Laycock was born in 1947 in Lethbridge, Alberta, and raised on a prairie farm with a view of the Rockies on the western horizon. After completing a BFA in printmaking and an MFA in painting at Brigham Young University, Utah, Laycock returned to his native Alberta to establish his career as a visual artist, spanning over three decades. He currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife, Kathy. Together they have five children and twelve grandchildren. Laycock's work exhibits passionate, gentle, and powerful portraits of nature's majesty dancing in dazzling light. His paintings have been exhibited and collected throughout the world.
Laycock's career has experienced many highlights, such as commissions from Canada Post to create stamps of Waterton National Park and Glacier National Park and having a watercolour presented to Queen Elizabeth II for Her Majesty's Royal Collection at Windsor Castle in 1986. In 1999 he was commissioned to create a design for the roof of the ballroom of the new Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Calgary, measuring an outstanding 120 by 190 meters, visible from the air and several tall buildings. Waterton: Brush & Pen, published in 2006, contains 144 of Laycock's paintings of Waterton Lakes National Park, with accompanying essays by renowned historian Fred Stenson. He was also awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal for Service in the Arts that same year. In addition, Laycock has been selected for membership in several of the most prestigious Canadian art organizations, such as the Society of Canadian Artists, the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Each of these organizations has often included his work in their juried exhibitions.
Brent Laycock works mainly in watercolour and acrylic, interpreting the landscape with loose, lyrical brushwork in a fluid, spontaneous style. The paint is applied in bold, direct strokes rather than conforming to a preliminary drawing. He challenges himself to look beyond the obvious when taking in the big, dramatic vistas, hoping to communicate an emotional response rather than a detailed photographic representation. He compares his artwork to musical compositions, where the rhythm, repetitions, and movement are all involved in making a harmonious statement. The individual elements derive their meaning from the way they interact with each other. Brent Laycock's artwork has been available for purchase at the West End Gallery since 1982.
"The majority of my paintings are landscapes. Although I have experimented with many other forms and subjects, it is the interaction with the land that continually fuels my interest. Perhaps this passion comes from my background as a farm boy, or perhaps it comes from just living where the sky, mountains, prairie and water have a continual impact on my perceptions. In the landscape, I see the spiritual connection between ourselves and the divine. I only hope to transmit some of its power to uplift the soul."Â - Brent R. Laycock
Â
West End Gallery respectfully acknowledges that our gallery is situated on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples, including the Cree, Blackfoot, Metis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, and Inuit.