Emigrating from England in 1913, artist Walter Phillips settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In some of his works he captures the essential elements of the western landscape. Here he includes grain elevators set against an open blue sky  -  two elements that would later become salient features of western Prairie art. Primarily known as a landscape artist, Phillips taught across western Canada, including the Banff School of Fine Art. He was a pioneer in block printing and is credited with making colour woodcut printing popular with western artists.