Ray Mcgirl

Ray McGirl was born in Toronto in 1946.
He has lived in Canada, in Toronto, Newmarket, Peterborough, Ontario and the Vancouver area and Revelstoke, British Columbia. He has also lived in Malaysia.
McGirl studied Drawing and Painting at OCAD 1963-5.
He has studied pastels, watercolour, Chinese ink painting, oils, acrylics, charcoal drawing.
He has studied various traditions to varying degrees – European painting, Canadian art, American art, Chinese art, Tibetan art.
His expressive range includes figurative, portrait, landscape and abstract works and combinations of these various modes.
Ray has taught art through the Ontario Arts Council’s Artist In the School program, Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Trent University, focusing particularly on instruction in drawing and life drawing.
He has exhibited in galleries in various towns and cities, with past exhibitions at The Blue Tomato Gallery, The Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio, Artspace, The Art Gallery of Peterborough.
Ray had a major showing of his work at The Art Gallery Peterborough.

As an artist, people ask me where I get my inspiration from. To me, the question is absurd. It’s like asking someone where they get their inspiration to breathe. It’s like asking an eight year old girl why she is skipping - it is because she can and wants to.
Painting is history and traditions, ideas and inventions, and a living language. It is an expressive art; a subtle and complex visual experience. In order to facilitate the most direct experience and reading or response, I think the painting should be left to speak for itself.
I believe in the language of painting; the power of art to communicate in its own way.

An exhibition of my new work at Natas Cafe, 376 George Street N, Peterborough
From: January 17 to February 28, 2011
OPENING: JANUARY 21, 7-9pm
Sponsored by: ReFRAME FILM FESTIVAL
reframe.html

"One man's garbage is another man's treasure," said artist Ray McGirl, a McDonnel St. resident who has lived in the city for 30 years.
The Plastic Show, a collection of art made from recycled and waste plastic by at least 13 confirmed local artists, is on display in the Blue Tomato's upstairs gallery until June 30.

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