This is not just a passing fancy of Clayton's, but a lifelong passion which began when he was the tender age of 10 years old, while researching for a school history project in the spring of 1972. During the process of compiling information and interviewing individuals for his grade 4 project, Clayton met the local historian Mel Robertson and Shirley, his wife, who was the local librarian at the time. Clayton was inspired to continue researching various aspects of local history, particularly the buildings and the evolution of the man-built aspects, the Village of Burford, along with all the small hamlets found within the geographic Township of Burford.


Awards:


...the wearing of the pins (Photo by C. Stevenson 2015)



I’m happy to have received the following awards and nominations over the years...


2013 - Ontario Heritage Trust "Community Heritage Achievement Award" presented by the Mayor of the City of Hamilton, for Clayton's initial role in saving the "Westbrook House," which was the last surviving building from the 1812 era, located at the site of the last battle fought on Canadian soil against a foreign power ("The Battle of Malcolm's Mill, Nov. 6th, 1814). The building was constructed about the year 1810 in the village of Oakland, Brant County, Ontario. It has now been re-constructed at the Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton, Ontario.


2013 - "Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal," presented by His Worship, Mayor Ron Eddy of the County of Brant, for Clayton's life achievement and volunteerism in heritage in and around Brant County.


2012 - National Achievement Award (Heritage) nomination.


1997 - Ontario Heritage Trust (formerly Ontario Heritage Foundation) "Community Heritage Achievement Award" presented by the (former) Corporation of the Township of Burford for his initiating / inspiring the movement to form an historical society in the geographic Township of Burford, in 1986. (Note: "lighting the wick" is their exact wording)


1995 - Nominated for the Ontario Historical Society's "Cruikshank Gold Medal" and "Carnochan Award."



My Artwork:

Back in the 1980's and 90's I was doing a lot of commissioned watercolour paintings and ink sketches. After the 90's my ability to get into the "zone" got worse,  because I had moved so many times, after my marriage split up, and it got harder to pull all my supplies and equipment together and find a spot to set it all up and work and feel like painting...I haven't picked up a brush now since 2015. I do not do commissioned work anymore, but if ever I should feel like painting again and manage to pull together my stuff, I still have a couple outstanding painting projects I need to complete and finally get "off my plate," but also, it would be nice to be able to just do work on paintings that I've always wanted to...just for myself...






CLICK image to see some examples of what I used to do.