Early Life, Family and Training
Mabel Lockerby was born on March 13, 1882, in Montreal, Quebec. She was the daughter of Alexander Linton Lockerby, a grocer, and Barbara Cox. The family lived in several different houses along MacKay Street, moving through the streets of Montreal as they grew. Among her seven siblings, four survived to adulthood.
Her formal training began at the Art Association of Montreal. There, she studied under the guidance of William Brymner and Maurice Cullen. These teachers helped shape her early development as she worked through the curriculum of the association.
Artistic Style and Technique
Her brushwork is heavy and deliberate, leaving visible marks across the canvas. She relies on a strong sense of design to structure her compositions, often using rich colours to define her subjects. While her early training focused on the fundamentals of drawing and composition, her later work moved toward more expressive textures. In the 1930s, her approach shifted to include elements of humour and fantasy, moving away from purely observational studies.
She focused her attention on several recurring subjects. Portraits and still lifes appear frequently, alongside landscapes that often include human figures. Her subjects were varied, ranging from children and animals to the quiet details of city streets and the presence of soldiers. She captured these figures with a focus on how they occupied a space, using the weight of her paint to build form.
Exhibitions and Professional Memberships
Lockerby’s presence in the Montreal art scene was marked by her involvement with several key groups. She was a member of the Beaver Hall Group, a collective that included both men and women. Her professional affiliations also included the Contemporary Arts Society of Montreal and, later in 1939, the Canadian Group of Painters.
Her work moved beyond local galleries to reach international audiences. In 1924 and 1925, her paintings were shown at the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley Park, England. She also had work featured at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Later, in 1954, her pieces were included in the 400th Anniversary Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The annual Spring Exhibition at the Association provided a steady venue for her work, where she began exhibiting in 1914 and continued to show there for many years. This consistency allowed her to remain a visible part of the Canadian art community throughout much of the twentieth century.
Awards and Recognition
Her early years at the Art Association of Montreal were marked by steady recognition for her technical skill. In 1902, she received an award for her drawing work within the antique class. By 1911, her focus had shifted toward the arrangement of her subjects, earning her an award for composition.
The late 1920s brought further acknowledgment for her specific subjects and her presence in competitive circles. In 1928, she received an Honourable Mention for her painting Marie et Minou. That same year, she was also granted an honorable mention at the Willingdon Arts competition.
Key Works and Collections
The presence of her paintings in major institutions speaks to the reach of her practice. The National Gallery of Canada holds four of her pieces, including the work titled Early Winter. Her canvases have also found permanent homes in the Art Gallery of Ontario, which contains Old Forts, and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. These collections preserve the specific way she handled color and design throughout her career.
In Montreal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts keeps her painting At the Café. This work, an oil on canvas, was a gift from the artist's family. Her ability to capture subjects through visible brushstrokes and a strong sense of design is reflected in these held works, which remain part of the public record of Canadian art.
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