Roland Gissing, born in 1895 in Willersey, England, came from a family of writers and poets. He developed an early passion for art and was drawn to Canada by depictions of cowboy life in movies. Arriving in Calgary in 1913, he worked on ranches while continuing to sketch Western scenes. In 1923, he decided to pursue art seriously and trained under Leonard Richmond. Gissing initially worked with pastels and watercolors but transitioned to oils in the 1930s, evolving his distinctive style. His career spanned six decades, during which he became renowned for his depictions of Alberta's landscapes and became a celebrated figure in Canadian art.
