Vera Olivia Weatherbie

Vera (Olivia) Weatherbie (1909-1977) was a Vancouver painter and one of the first graduates from the Vancouver School of Decorative Applied Art. Weatherbie was known for her connections with the Group of Seven Painter, VSDAA faculty member, and co-founder of the British Columbia College of Arts, Frederick Varley.

Weatherbie attended the Vancouver School of Decorative Applied Art, now Emily Carr University of Art and Design, from 1925 to 1929 with fellow painter and friend Irene Hoffar Reid.

Weatherbie continued her education in 1932-1933 completing post-graduate studies at the Royal Academy of Arts in London where she expanded her skill in diffused light, muted colour, and fractured surfaces. Upon her return from London, Weatherbie took a position as a painting instructor at the British Columbia College of Arts in Vancouver. The school was founded by Frederick Varley, Jock Macdonald and Harry Täuberwas.

While a student of Varley's at the School of Decorative and Applied Arts in Vancouver, Weatherbie was known for having taught Varley about auras. Harry Adaskin, a Canadian violinist and author, noted, "'Vera, who was involved in mystical speculation, taught Varley about auras: vibrations which surround all people revealing the true state of their emotions and spirit. These vibrations were depicted as colour by those spiritually ready to receive them."

Reception Although Weatherbie has been considered underrated for her time, she did receive recognition for some of her work through awards and reception. Weatherbie was applauded for Portrait of F.H. Varley (1930, oil on canvas and board, 99.0 cm x 85.0 cm) for her ability to capture her subject. Blodwen Davies of the Toronto Star Weekly on January 21, 1931 stated, "Miss Weatherbie has attempted to paint not only a keenly discerning study of the face of the artist, but she has invaded the world of metaphysics in a daring effort to commit to paint the immaterial qualities of personality." Fyfe-Smith Travelling Scholarship, 1929/30 Beatrice Stone Medal in Painting