The natural world is full of happy opposites.
Earth and water, sky and land, light and dark.
I love travelling to find a scene to sketch or paint, and to try to capture a moment - a quick glimpse of the ever-changing landscape.
I was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1953. My father painted and there was always a painting on the easel, or an art book open for me to look at. My mother decorated our home with English designer fabrics. I didn’t know then the influence that would have on me.
I graduated from Trent University in Peterborough in English Studies.
The only thing I knew when I graduated was that I needed art in my life, so I then studied and graduated in Fine Arts at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto.
What a blast art college was but I still had to earn a living so I spent many years as a layout artist and graphic designer in the fast-paced world of advertising.
I think that’s why I love the challenge of painting plein air because it means I have to react to and work quickly to capture the essence of the scene before it disappears. I work mostly in watercolour and wet-in-wet acrylics.
Don Valley Art Club, Toronto www.donvalleyartclub.com
Rednersville Road Art Tour, Prince Edward County www.rednersvilleroadarttour.com
theo.m.mclaren@gmail.com
