|
When Walter
was nine-years-old he moved to Canada where
he later received a scholarship to attend
the Ontario College of Art.
He quickly
rejected OCA’s formal regimen of drawing
from plaster casts and decided instead to
join experienced fellow artist, Alex Straker,
at his log cabin on Buck Lake north of
Huntsville. Alex taught Walter sketching
technique, canvas preparation and how to
work with oil paint and brushes.
In 1939,
Walter settled into married life in Toronto
and made his living as a display designer,
illustrator and commercial artist, but
continued to paint in oil and watercolour.
He took up painting full-time in 1964 until
his death in 1982.
Walter’s work
is in the collections of major corporations,
public galleries and government offices in
Canada. He was recognized for his
contribution to Canadian art by being
inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy in
1979.
- Tom Coucill, June 2006
|
