Originally from the Isle of Man, Toni Onley received training there from John Hobbs Nicholson, an English watercolour painter. Onley emigrated to Canada in 1948 and moved to BC in 1955, where he became well-known for capturing the essence of West Coast landscape. Onley flew his floatplane all over the BC Coast, and extensively explored the Gulf Islands. He would pull the plane up on a beach, get out his painting box, and paint Zen-like watercolours of the striking land and seascapes before him. The temperament of the atmosphere with its mists and clouds, and the ever-changing ambient light and its effect on form, were of great interest to Onley. He stated, “I played with the shapes of the logs evaporating into water and turning into sky, always trying to keep it as simple as possible.” Eastern aesthetics and philosophy were of great interest to Onley, and his awareness of this contributed to his ability to transmit a spiritual resonance present in the landscape through his work.

In the studio, Onley would develop large works on canvas from the watercolours painted on location, such as this fine painting, with its rich colouration and transcendent light.