The focus of the Edith Grace Coombs fonds is the original artwork (299) which has been arranged after reception largely by subject and sometimes by size. It is both by the artist herself and by other artists, some associated with her, including a small group of works (ca. 49) produced by her students during art instruction classes and exams.
The collection is comprised of primarily watercolours and drawings. The art by Grace Coombs (some 175 works) illustrates the variety of subjects she captured. Although best known for her work depicting wild flowers and landscapes she produced numerous sketches of animals and birds, children, figure studies and some portraits. One of her strengths was the ability to capture strong images of animals and birds, often in the wild with naturalistic strong colours and simple three colour schemes which practiced a basic use of contrasting colours for light and shadow.
Two studies of children: "Girl with the letter S", and "Girl with Bird and Egg shell", document illustrations likely made for publication. Coombs did a lot of figure studies and informal but charming portraits often of young women in casual and sometimes ethnic costume.
An important element of this collection is a group of some 49 works by her students documenting her career of apprximately 30 years as a teacher of art. It is comprised of sketches from museum pieces including Greek and Roman statuary, bird and animal mannequins, costume pieces, ethnographic utensils and pottery, and completed assignment templates testing colour theory. In addition to her being a professor at the Ontario College of Art, she taught drawing when she was still a young student and in later years she taught a small group of private students at her studio at the family cottage at Camp Charmette (near Neighick Lake at Ahmic Harbour near Parry Sound).
Of note is a rough drawing titled: "Graf Zeppelin - First Trip - Over New York" which depicts the famous airship floating over tall city buildings. It is a study for a final lithographic drawing which was exhibited at the Graphic Art Exhibition of 1933 around the time Coombs was a student in New York. Several copies of this print have surfaced in recent years documenting the artist's media range and continued presence in the art market.
In addition the art records include miscellaneous items likely kept as inspirational and resource imagery or used as instructional material, produced by various artists and by Coombs herself. This material includes reproductions and prints (2 posters by Doreen Wood); postcards, Christmas cards by the artist and from others; collages and mock-up formats such as colour sample charts and booklets, and calligraphy samples. These items have been placed with the art series because of media, format and function.
