Artist John Rombough, with his art at Edmonton K-Days. Photo by Terry Lusty. By Terry Lusty (ANNews) – Last month the Edmonton art community welcomed John Rombough to our city. Oh, he’s been around a few times but not on any permanent basis. He is a former resident whose bloodlines flow from Canada’s Northwest Territories, Lutselk’e to be specific. Geographically it lies on the south and east arm of Great Slave Lake and was known for quite some time as Snowdrift. That changed in 1992 when it reverted to its former Indigenous name with a population of just over 300. Rombough is a naturally gifted artist originally from the Catholique family who was adopted out at age three to a Prince Edward Island couple. Luckily for young John, he was raised by the loving PEI couple in a warm and welcoming artistic environment. Over the years John grew up during an era when some of the original members of the Indian Group of Seven {artists} were flourishing, notably the great woodland artist, Norval Morrisseau whose work truly inspired John. If one studies John’s style with the use of bold black and brilliant colours, you will note similarities between the two artists – though his work is uniquely his own. While especially attached to turquoise blue and purple, red and black are common as well in John’s choices. As for subject matter, he tends to gravitate to subjects such as bears, wolves, eagles, moose and bison, in addition to images of the land. Even at an early age, John harboured a penchant to do art and become an artist. He fondly recalls his natural take to art and tells how he used to sell his art at a young age for “mere pennies.” He further delights in the praise he got from a teacher when he was in Grade Two. Those words still ring loud and clear, “Remember us, you’ve got a talent.” John never forgot those compliments. That same teacher was a gifted artist, said John. “He was a cartoonist and did caricatures and cartoons; he worked in watercolours and was known for that all over the Maritimes.” He’s additionally proud that, to that point in time, he had the highest mark ever in school – 97%! Aside from his art, he enjoyed fishing for brook trout in the creek, and was quite the athlete too, winning distance races of 10 K. Over time, he got to thinking and wondering about his birth parents. Upon reaching adulthood, about 22, he made his way west, winding up in Banff and embracing the natural beauty and serenity of the region. In the meantime, his biological parents were still on the lookout for him. In fact, his dad was “hanging with friends” in Edmonton still looking for his boy. Edmonton was always and still is a drawing card for many northerners. People from the north gravitate to Edmonton for a host of reasons – education, health care, dentistry, housing, employment, and so forth. Thus, it was a logical place to look for John. It was all a matter of time, then finally the two did connect and meet up. That reunion, said John, “was pretty emotional. I took to him, and we were both happy and cried too.” He and his dad moved north, back to Lutselk’e where his dad returned to his traditional life of trapping and water delivery in the community. Seeing his art as a future career, John moved to Yellowknife, met more of his relatives, made new friends and marketed his art. It was a good life and he began to settle in. One day he chanced upon a cousin of his, Snookie Catholique. She was a CBC broadcaster with some political leanings who participated in the Dakota Access Pipeline protest and also became the Language Commissioner for the NWT. It was she, in fact, who informed John that, “You have a big family.” The rest was history. John got to know his relations, learned his culture and made many friends. All this time, he nurtured his artistic talents, experimented a bit with styles, and colours, until he evolved into his signature style. Today, that style perseveres and marks his unique imagery that continues to attract a following that appreciates his art. And that, dear reader, is precisely why John Rombough has set up residence in Edmonton. That way he can move about easier and access a wider market base while promoting his creations far and wide. He’s exhibited and sold at Calgary Stampede, Edmonton’s K-days, Heritage Days and much more to come. His art is currently available in Edmonton at Bearclaw Gallery. Terry Lusty is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.
Artist John Rombough returns to his roots and makes his presence felt
