While it was amazing to see all of the Greek and Roman sculptures in Olympus, the best thing I saw there was this painting by Jackson Beardy from 1974. It spoke to me on a level the emotionless stone faces never could. Beardy was from Winnipeg and one of the founders of the Indian Group of Seven (All extremely talented artists, check out their work). He made a big push for aboriginal art to be viewed as art instead of something anthropological. His paintings are not only gorgeous, but are filled with important ideas like the need for balance and the connection between man and nature. Our hockey team winning gold or the quality of Tim Hortons has never made me feel nationalistic. But this Jackson Beardy painting makes me fucking proud to be a Canadian and even more proud to be an artist from humble beginnings in Manitoba. #viewsfromviridiancity #jacksonbeardy