PROFILE Laurie McGaw is well known for her vibrant portraits of
such renowned figures as jazz artists Oscar Peterson and Gene Di Novi
and film director Norman Jewison. She is also known for her
award-winning illustrated books: Polar the Titanic Bear,
nominated for a Governor General’s Award, has sold over 680,000 copies
in five languages. A New York Times review described her
portraits for African Princess as “stunning”; she was honored
for her work by the NAACP. Portraiture has been featured on four
collector’s coins that she has designed for the Royal Canadian Mint,
including the 2007 proof silver dollar and a $300 gold coin series
celebrating the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. A graduate of The
Ontario College of Art & Design, and a former instructor there,
Laurie continues to teach: she conducts portrait painting workshops
biannually and teaches master classes to small groups throughout the
year. The focus of her work is portraiture. Whether in commissioned
works, illustrations, or historical paintings, her love is painting
people. Laurie McGaw’s work has been featured in books, magazines, and
private and corporate collections for over 30 years. People are drawn to
her work because of her ability to reveal the sitter’s inner qualities
with warmth and respect. “Laurie McGaw’s portraits have a lively
attention to detail that definitively captures the fine nuances of her
subject’s personality.”—Signe Ball, Publisher, In
the Hills Magazine.
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EXHIBITIONS
2008: Double
Vision: The Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators
in
Communication (CAPIC), Toronto Imageworks Gallery, 80 Spadina Ave.,
Toronto;
portrait exhibit
2008:
Showcase 2008: Headwaters Arts
Festival Annual Juried Show; SGI Centre,
Caledon, Ont.
2007:
Double Vision: The Canadian Association of Photographers and
Illustrators in
Communication (CAPIC); Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont.;
portrait exhibit
2005:
Best of the Best: Headwaters Arts Festival Annual Juried Show;
SGI Centre,
Caledon, Ont.
2004:
Portraits in Performance: solo exhibition; portraits of prominent
people in the
performing
arts in the Headwaters region; Theatre Orangeville, Orangeville, Ont.
2003:
25-Year Retrospective: solo exhibition as part of the Headwaters
Studio Tour
1992-2003:
Headwaters Studio Tour participant
1992:
Fourteen Hands: Shelburne Art Centre, Shelburne, Ont.
1996:
Kyoto, Japan: exhibited 8 original paintings from Polar the Titanic
Bear
1993:
Artist in Residence: McMichael Canadian Collection, Kleinburg,
Ont.
1984:
CAPIC show: Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Ont.; exhibited Oscar
Peterson portrait
1978-1990:
exhibited in various CAPIC shows; some traveled across the country
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AWARDS
2007: Artist of the Year, Hills of Headwaters Tourism
Association
2005:
NAACP Award for African Princess
2004:
Artist of the Year, Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association
2004:
New York Times Children’s Books List, Selection, African
Princess
2004:
Publishers Marketing
Association, selection, Publishers Weekly; Avram’s
Gift
2003:
Sydney Taylor Notable Book Award for Avram’s Gift
2002:
Certificate of Recognition, The Dufferin Arts Council; founding member
1999:
Red Cedar Award for Discovering the Iceman
1999:
Applied Arts Magazine, Awards Annual selection, for Journey to
Ellis Island
1998:
National Jewish Book Awards, Children’s Picture Book Award nominee
(Journey to Ellis Island)
1998:
Benjamin Franklin Award, Best Children’s Book for Something to
Remember Me By
1998:
Joan Fassler Book Award, (STRMB)
1998:
Parents Choice Recommended, selection, (STRMB)
1998:
Canadian Children’s Book Centre, “Our Choice”, (STRBM)
1998:
Selected as “Outstanding” by the Parent Council, (STRMB)
1998:
American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists”, (STRMB)
1997:
Mr. Christie’s Book Award for Discovering the Iceman
1997:
Information Book Award, Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada (Iceman)
1995:
Silver Birch Award for Polar the Titanic Bear
1994:
Governor General’s Award finalist, for Polar the Titanic Bear
1994:
Canadian Children’s Book Award, Ontario Library Association
Children’s Services Guild, for Polar the Titanic Bear
1990:
CAPIC Annual Exhibition, Bronze Award for The Morningside Papers (portrait
of Peter Gzowski)
1985:
Civilian Citation, presented by the Board of Commissioners of Police,
City of Toronto (for assisting the homicide division with portraits of
suspects and victims)
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PORTRAITS
Oscar
Peterson Jazz pianist, Peter
Gzowski Broadcaster, David
Suzuki
Environmentalist,
Mark DuBois Tenor, Dan Needles
Playwright, Terry Fox Fundraiser
Wayne
Gretzky Hockey star, Norman
Jewison Director, David Nairn Actor,
Director
Gene
DiNovi Jazz pianist, Dave
Young Jazz
bassist, Silken Laumann Olympic
rower
Sharon,
Lois & Bram Children’s entertainers, Bruce Westwood Literary Agent
Dini
Petty Broadcaster, Doris
McCarthy Artist, The Hon. Hugh
Sedgwick Judge
Pat
Sedgwick Fundraiser, The
Poulton children, Theresa Mizzi Therapist
The
entire Board of Directors of Imperial Oil Ltd., Dr. K.MacMillan Canadian
Bible
Society,
Katelyn Epners Student, Neil
Mathieson, CGA, Accountant,
‘Freddie’ Mathieson
Homemaker,
The Mathieson Daughters, Catherine, Joe & Angela Zeimet
Gordon
Pape Author
& Broadcaster, Robert Thomas Allen Writer,
Boris Brott
Conductor,
Farley Mowat Author, Pope John
Paul II, The Cruickshank children,
Erin
Gilmour cover, Toronto Life
Magazine, D’Arcy McKeough Executive,
Rogers
& Hammerstein Toronto Life Magazine, Gillian Howard Fundraiser
Claude
Taylor Air Canada Executive,
Charles Rand Posthumous
portrait,
Christopher
Needler Executive, Conrad
Black & Barbara Amiel Executive
&
Writer,
Bill
Lishman Environmentalist,
Walter Bean Newspaper executive
Susan
Butler Educator, Tamara Hope Actor,
Dermot O’Brien Art Director
Rory
‘Gus’ Sinclair Musician, Social Activist, Contractor, Major Alexander J. Sinclair
48th
Highlanders of Canada,
Genevieve Grand-daughter of Carl
and Anne Laurier
Cheryl
Shoji Newspaper Photo Editor,
Ian French Executive, Sandra
Leah Secondary
School
Principal, Roy Frankel Executive,
Andrea Bocelli Tenor, Jim and
Gracie
Hankinson
Executive,
Ontario Power Generation,, The
MacPherson Sisters,
Michael Mahovlich
Photographer,
Mary Newberry Editor, The
Shaefler Children,
Jacob Freedman Child
portrait
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BOOKS
African
Princess, Hyperion
/ Jump at the Sun / Madison Press
Avram’s
Gift, MB
Publishing, Maryland
Joan
Stade’s Story, Joan
Stade, Chicago, Illinois
To
Be A Princess, Scholastic
/ Madison Press
Inside
the Hindenburg,
McArthur & Company / Madison Press (Collaboration with Ken Marschall)
Journey
to Ellis Island, Hyperion
/ Madison Press
Something
to Remember Me By,
The Communication Project
The
Popcorn Tree, Stoddart
Christmas
with Anne,
McClelland & Stewart
Discovering
the Iceman, Scholastic
/ Madison Press
The
Illustrated Father Goose,
Little, Brown / Madison Press
Polar
the Titanic Bear,
Little, Brown / Madison Press
The
Secrets of Vesuvius, Random
House, Madison Press
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MEDIA
Print
2007: The
Globe and Mail, national newspaper, article about a commissioned
portrait of Bryce Bradley
2007:
In the Hills Magazine,
feature profile
2007:
Shelburne Free Press &
Economist, article about logo design for
the
Town
of
Shelburne
2004: New York Times,
Sunday Book Review (Children’s Books), African Princess
2003: Canadian Jewish News,
article about Avrams’s Gift
1996: The
Toronto Star, feature article
1994: In
the Hills Magazine, article
1992-the present: The Orangeville Banner, various articles
1992-the present: The Orangeville Citizen, various articles
Misc.
1999:
Published portrait of Andrea Bocelli, personally presented to him in
Verona, Italy
(Polar the Titanic Bear cards mailed by the Bocelli
family to friends for Christmas)
2005: Portrait of Oscar
Peterson purchased and donated to The University of
Toronto,
Mississauga Campus, to hang in the new Oscar Peterson
Residence
Radio
& TV
2009: Star
Portraits, PTV Productions; Part one of a 13-part series, combining
the art of
portraiture with
celebrity biography; airs September ‘09
2006:
30-minute interview, Rogers Cable TV Network
2002: CBC TV news:
Presented To Be A Princess to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
1997: 96.3 FM Radio:
Interviewed by Catherine Belyea
1994: CBC Radio:
Interviewed by Peter Gzowski on Morningside
1992: Rogers Cable TV
(portraits: Wayne Gretzky, Rodney Dangerfield, David Bowie)
1986: CBC TV: Episode
of Street Legal, as courtroom artist
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SPEAKING
ENGAGEMENTS
2005:
Packaging Your Imagination,
Victoria College, U of T, sponsored by
The Canadian Society of
Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers
2000: Tour of the
North: Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, and Norman Wells
Libraries and schools;
supported by the Canada Council
1994 to the present:
Numerous presentations to schoolchildren throughout Ontario
1994 to the present:
Presentations/workshops to various local arts groups
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JURIES
2005:
Artflight; The Canada Aviation Museum, Ottawa; annual art exhibition
2000: The Governor
General’s Awards, Ottawa (Children’s Books)
1985: The National
Magazine Awards, Toronto
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TEACHING
2005 to the present: Teaching small master classes in
home/studio
1999 to the present:
Portrait painting workshops, twice yearly
1993: Artist in
Residence, McMichael Canadian Collection
1987-93:
The Ontario College of Art & Design, instructor
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ASSOCIATIONS
Presently
listed in the Canadian Who’s Who
2000-02: Member of the Portrait Society of America
Inc.
2001: Chair, Headwaters
Studio Tour; member for 10 years
2000
to the present: Member of the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association
1996
-2005: Member of CANSCAIP
Canadian Society of
Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers
1992
to the present: Founding Member of the Dufferin Arts Council
1978
to the present: Founding Member of CAPIC
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WORK
HISTORY
1978-to
the present: Artist and illustrator, specializing in portraiture and
book llustration
1977-78:
Illustrator at TDF Artists Ltd., Canada’s largest advertising
art studio, at the time
1974-75:
Layout artist and production coordinator for Chatelaine Magazine
1972-74:
Layout artist at The Canadian Magazine
1970-72:
Layout artist at McGaw-Jordan Ltd. /Artists and
Lithographers
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EDUCATION
1984:
Studied with renowned American portrait painter Daniel Greene, North
Salem, NY
1983:
Studied Art History in Italy; York University program (Toronto)
1975-77: The Ontario College of Art &
Design; graduated with honors
1966-70:
Graduated from a commercial art program, Thistletown Collegiate
Institute
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WORKING
METHODS
“To
create a portrait, I start by meeting the subject in his or her own
environment to discuss ideas and settle on size and
medium. This initial discussion also serves as a time to get a sense of
the sitter’s personality. At the next meeting, I usually produce a
study, either in charcoal, chalk, or oil, depending
on the time allowed. The pose is then chosen and we make arrangements
for future sittings. I
paint the portrait either in the client’s home/office or in my studio,
or both. I take photographs
and use them as reference for the finishing stages of the portrait. I
have created portraits entirely from
life (with up to eight sittings), but often, with time constraints,
there are about three
sittings; the balance is finished with the use of the photographs.”
