Enchanted Cumberland

Jonal Fine Art Studio is the studio/gallery of artists John Mortenson and April Lafferty, located in the historic village of Cumberland in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. Both John and April come from artistic families, and the early encouragement of their parents helped them developed a solid foundation for their skills in art. Influenced by his travel through Western Europe and Greece, Mortenson decided to pursue a life as an artist, and he studied in Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto. In 1998, John was chosen along with fifteen other artists, five of whom were members of the Group of Seven, to be included in a book called Massanoga, The Art of Bon Echo, an archive of Canadian Art Series publication, which is undoubtedly an amazing achievement. Similarly, wife of Mortenson, April Lafferty, was also inspired by arts in Europe. Visiting many of the major galleries in Paris, France, Belgium and Holland, and also studying with the Russian artist, Igor Babailov, reaffirmed her decision to become an artist. In 1999, the couple decided to settle down in BC, and they have both fulfilled their dream of becoming a full time artist. Currently, John enjoys painting the mountains, seaport and quaint villages of the West Coast, and April enjoys painting a variety of subjects using a close-up perspective, bold form and colour. It is our honour to have them as our guests, and we know you’ll appreciate their art as much as we do!