“All my paintings are based on something I have seen, and it may be an amalgamation of ideas or scenes. I do a lot of observing, sketching and traveling outdoors. All of this is in my paintings. I also study many great and not so great painters work, and this also influences my ideas when thinking about how I will paint something. However, it is all finally distilled down into a single thought about the subject, and how it will be painted. I consider the painting finished when it is a reflection of the original idea. I am not looking for a particular pattern of brushstrokes, style, or any other technical aspects in a final painting. I am looking for a feeling when I look at it that says it is a complete idea. I understand that it could always be better. But I have never liked perfect things.” Garth Armstrong
Garth Armstrong (1960-)
Native to Toronto, Garth Armstrong is a graduate of the internationally renowned Ontario College of Art & Design (OCADU) in the communication and design program. In the early stages of his painting career, he focused mainly on the use of watercolour on paper. Garth switched mediums and began following in the footsteps of the iconic Canadian painters of the Group of Seven, discovering that painting “en Plein air” let him bring together his passion for the outdoors and his artistic gift. His style explores an Impressionistic technique and palette, capturing the unique light and colour of the Canadian landscape, creating paintings that are evocative, original and irresistible. He has the eye of both an artist and a naturalist.
Working from small 8 X 10 oil on board sketches, most often completed on location, Garth creates larger oil paintings on canvas in the studio. These paintings are painted wet on wet on a warm ground colour, working dark to light, with thickened oil paint with no mediums involved. He describes his paintings as a moment in time, captured and recorded in paint.
Garth’s artwork is represented exclusively by Donna Child Fine Art Gallery in Toronto, Ontario. Garth is a member of the Ontario Society of Artists and the Oil Painters of America. Garth pursued a career in graphic design, and is an experienced art director and marketing executive. Garth is also a highly sought-after art instructor, regularly selling out classes months in advance.
Select Private and Corporate Collections:
Lundin Mining Corporation
Enbridge Corporate Offices
Canadian Canoe Museum
Hospital for Sick Kids
Bruce Trail Conservancy Foundation
Publications:
Garth Armstrong – Northward: A Retrospective – 2010
Garth Armstrong – Trails: The Bruce Trail & Other Places – 2016
