Reflection Of Tom Thomson
At Lake Scugog
Acrylic on canvas board | 12” x 16” | Jan 2012

Tom Thomson is iconic. Despite the impact of this Canadian cultural legend, his face and work has faded from sharp focus. Tom Thomson At Lake Scugog seemed the most appropriate portrait to work with because it is an image of Tom in reflection – in more than one sense.

My painting practice revolves around the figures involved in our Canadian landscape history, collective & individual memory. My painting style & process creates images that are clearly recognizable at a distance, but as you approach the painted surface, the image begins to dematerialize into abstracted/indistinct forms.

Tom Thomson is a mentor and guide which I’ll never meet, a catalyst for our Canadian artistic heritage, and a national icon. So, when we find the image of Tom Thomson a little blurry in our mind’s eye, I hope we remember to sharpen our focus.