Edmund Prior

Home: Richmond Hill, Ontario
Title: Alice Prior
Media: Oil on masonite / huile sur masonite
Dimensions: 97 x 81.5 cm

Alice Prior is a portrait of my 92 year old mother. My mother is a joyous person with a great love of life and interest in people. Born in 1918 in London, England two weeks after World War One ended, she has lived through challenging times, including the great depression and the Blitz during World War Two. She, along with my father, emigrated to Australia after the war and then eventually to Canada. Through her diverse experiences, and despite debilitating arthritis, she has displayed that typical British resilience and humour, which is such an inspiration to anyone who meets her today.

I have been a practicing artist since graduating from the Fine Art department of OCAD in 1978. I am a realist, figurative painter, having developed traditional oil techniques based on my study of the masters in the great museums of Europe. My painting style acknowledges the strong influence of the Flemish Primitives and modern painters such as Stanley Spencer and Otto Dix. I strive for an intensity of expression in my work like my mentor, the late Tom LaPierre.

EDUCATION:
1984 BA University of Guelph, Fine Art
1974-1978 AOCA Ontario College of Art, Off-Campus Florence Program 77-78

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2007 Allegory & Realism, The Art of Edmund Prior, Kathleen McKay Art Centre
2003 Edmund Prior, Paintings and Drawings, The Kathleen McKay Art Centre

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2005 A Tale of a Few Cities, Paintings by Edmund Prior, Toronto Art Expo
1997-2008 Annual York Region Juried Exhibition, The Varley Art Gallery, Unionville
2000 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto

AWARDS:
1998, 2007-08 Jurors Award of Merit, Juried Exhibition, The Varley Art Gallery
1994 Honorable Mention, Richmond Hill Juried Exhibition, Town Hall, Richmond Hill

EMPLOYMENT:
1994-1999 Graphic Artist and Illustrator, EC Designs, Scarborough, Ontario 1994-1999: Graphic Artist and illustrator, Norama Design Inc. Toronto
1985-1986 Free Lance Illustrator / Designers Inc., Saturday Night Magazine

OTHER INFORMATION:
2009-2010 Humber College, Toronto / 3d Modeling and Special Effects Certificate
1999-2009 OCADU Alumni Association / Studio Monitor for Open Life Drawing Class