A portrait of former governor general Adrienne Clarkson standing in a snowy landscape, painted by Newfoundland artist Mary Pratt, was unveiled Thursday at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Clarkson sat for Pratt while she was still in office, and the soft-edged portrait reflects her special focus on the North.

Newfoundland artist Mary Pratt's portrait of former governor general Adrienne Clarkson was unveiled at Rideau Hall on Thursday.
(Governor General of Canada)

Clarkson was "drawn to winter like the needle of a compass points to the North," current Governor General Michaëlle Jean said Thursday after unveiling the portrait. 

"She herself said that she was 'rather pleased that (hers) is the only official portrait of all the governors general from 1867 on that has snow as its setting,'" Jean said.

"In her journal, Mary Pratt, who painted the portrait, described one of her watercolours in which, all bundled up, hands in her pockets, with one booted foot forward, Adrienne Clarkson looked a little 'like a Tibetan warrior somehow,'" Jean said.

It is a long-standing tradition, dating back to 1898, that a portrait be commissioned of each person who holds the office of governor general.

Jean thanked Clarkson for her commitment to culture and for bringing attention to Canada's North.

"You have left a rich legacy and … your portrait, which we are about to unveil, will serve as a reminder of your presence in this institution and among your predecessors," she said.

Pratt, who lives and paints in St. John's, is known for paintings that focus on the domestic and quotidian. Her style, once photo-realistic, evolved in the 1990s to reflect a distinct approach to light.

Her work is held in both public and private collections.

Pratt, who was married for many years to artist Christopher Pratt, was born in Fredericton in 1935 and has a fine arts degree from Mount Allison University, where she studied with Alex Colville and Ted Pulford.

She has been involved in the Newfoundland arts scene, sitting on boards and committees.

She keeps a journal, which was published in the book A Personal Calligraphy, and has been named to the Order of Canada.