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TOTEM (2026)
Enjoy Brendan's collection of (11) original piano pieces inspired by the life & paintings of Canadian artist, Emily Carr (1871-1945), whose paintings capture the First Nations and landscapes of British Columbia.
Her life blossomed through wilderness and spirit, capturing Canada’s forests and Indigenous totems with bold devotion.
Misunderstood in youth yet celebrated later, she painted nature as sacred, giving voice to the wild
soul of the West Coast.
Each placement reflects both the general chronology of her work and the symbolic “story” these paintings collectively tell.
***New pieces add monthly...
A Story of Emily Carr's Life and Death Told Through His Paintings...
01) Autumn in France
02)
03)
04) Thunder Bird
05)
06)
07)
08)
09)
10)
11)
Liner Notes:
Emily Carr’s landscapes in piano form—each piece a channel of creativity and inspiration, echoing the spiritual genius and regarded as a Canadian national treasure.
01: 'Autumn in France' (1911)Her youthful independence begins. The disciplined Parisian brushwork reflects a young artist breaking away from Victorian expectations and searching for her voice abroad.
04: 'Thunder Bird' (c.1920-30s)
Myth rises into her work. The Thunderbird becomes a bridge between earth and sky, symbolizing power, protection, and her growing spiritual depth.
03: 'Spring Ice'
The season of becoming.
Melting rivers and glassy thaw reflect his growing mastery and the renewal of his artistic confidence.
04: 'Burnt Land'
Toughening, testing, transforming.
He begins charting harsher terrains, embracing the resilience found in scarred landscapes.
05: 'Summer Day'
Life at its height.
Luminous light and open lakes evoke the harmony he felt during his most productive seasons.
06: 'Autumn Foliage'
The great blaze before decline.
He paints autumn with unmatched intensity, capturing the fleeting fire of nature—and of life.
07: 'Jack Pine'
The emblem of his vision.
A solitary, wind-bent tree stands as the fullest expression of his mature style and spirit.
08: 'Path Behind Mowat Lodge'
Stepping closer to his final chapter.
These familiar trails echo the rhythms of Canoe Lake and the quiet days leading up to his disappearance.
09: 'Something Told The Wild Geese'
Nature shifts toward departure.
The migratory V becomes a subtle metaphor for transition, movement, and impending loss.
Footnote:
This is the title of a poem by Rachel Field 1934, which captures the essence of Thomson's painting, Round Lake - Geese Flying V, 1915.
10: 'Canoe Lake'
The place of mystery.
His last days gather around these waters—mirror-still, uncertain, carrying the weight of legend.
11: 'Moonlight'
Aftermath and remembrance.
A nocturne of silence and reflection, suggesting both his absence and the lingering glow of what he left behind.
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