Tom Thomson was born August 5th, 1877 in Claremont Ontario. He was the sixth of ten children. Although he was always interested in the arts, he did not devote his career to painting until he was 30.
In 1904, while working as a draftsman he met members of the Group of Seven. Although Thomson was closely associated with the artists in the Group of Seven, the Group of Seven was not founded until after his death.
To offset his art career, Thomson worked as a firefighter, a ranger and a guide to Algonquin Park while living on his own in a shack on Canoe Lake. Here he produced his most famous work: Jack pine, West Wind and Northern River.
Thomson died mysteriously on a canoe trip in 1917 at 39 years old.
Students used watercolours, acrylic paint and chalk pastels to create their own landscapes inspired by Tom Thomson.