Marjorie Pigott was born to an English father and a Japanese mother , who , recognizing Pigott 's artistic talent , sent her to study under master artists at the Nanga School , founded in the 15th century . Her mother was of noble birth , and their home was filled with ancient Japanese treasures , which were mostly destroyed during the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake . After twelve years of study Pigott was designated a Nanga master herself . With World War II looming , Pigott left Japan together with her sister Edith , arriving in Vancouver in 1940 and settling in Toronto . From 1955 to 1965 she taught the Nanga technique to Japanese in Canada . She started painting Canadian scenes , such as the landscapes around Muskoka , using the Nanga technique , and gradually developed her own style of semi-abstract wet-into-wet watercolour painting
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Marjorie Pigott