Andrew Hamilton, plein air artist extraordinaire

[Allan OMarra]

Andrew Hamilton with a selection of his plein air paintings

[My column in the October 2nd issue of the News Advertiser]

Andrew Hamilton is shining proof that you can fail at high school art and still go on to become a renowned professional artist, professor and curator. It wasn’t for lack of talent that his teacher failed him: it was his resistance to completing projects that Hamilton found woefully unchallenging that led to his failing grades. And needing challenge is a major facet of Andrew’s personality.

Arriving in Canada from Scotland in 1971 at age 7 and facing the culture shock of suburban Mississauga was an early formative test. He quickly and consciously abandoned his thick accent so as to fit in with his schoolmates and happily adapted to the wide open play spaces of his adopted country. And he naturally fell into sketching with a pencil as an early preoccupation – inspired by the doodles of his mother who he, much later found out, had attended art school in Glasgow, a pioneer for her gender at that time.

However, after high school, and in an all too familiar scenario for artists, Hamilton decided to find a financially viable career and trained and began working as a registered nurse, eventually turning it into a self-employed business. Soon finding the work unchallenging, he took a year off and listened to his inner voice on a beach in Victoria, then applied to and was accepted at the Ontario College of Art and Design. And found one teacher there, Chinkok Tan, who helped him “turn his seeing brain on”. And after OCAD, he hasn’t looked back, embarking on a sterling career as an “en plein air” (painting on location) artist in a wide variety of media, an art professor at various Ontario community colleges and a plein air workshop instructor. Although he now lives in the east end of Toronto, he has taught and worked in Durham Region and paints extensively here. He is presently the Executive Director of the Durham West Arts Centre and the driving force behind the upcoming Durham West Studio Tour (October 3rd and 4th): an opportunity for the public to see the works of 22 artists and craftspeople – including Hamilton -- at 17 locations in Ajax, Pickering and north (go to www.durhamweststudiotour.ca)

Hamilton “draws” heart-enriching paintings in direct splashes of vivid colours much reminiscent of his Group of Seven heroes. See his work and find contact information at http://www.andrewhamilton.com

Allan O’Marra is a professional artist living and working in Ajax. For contact information go to www.allanomarra.com