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The Portrait Society of Canada is a public organization, dedicated to fostering the practice, techniques and aesthetics of

Fine Art Portraiture and Sculpture through public education.

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MEDIA RESPONSES
Shubenacadie Olympian honoured in portrait by local artist
John B. Aird Gallery, Portraits of Olympic Athletes
Supporting Olympians through art
Olympic Exhibit
Portrait Society of Canada Exhibit features painting of Olympic Sailor ~ Evert Bastet
Heroes captured the classic way
Artist paints portraits of Olympic athletes
Fonthill artist's work selected for national Olympic athletes exhibit
     
     
  Portrait of Sasha Mehmedovic by Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan
  Judo, Olympic 2008
       
 
Sasha Mehmedovic was born in Pancevo,Yugoslavia, but has made North York, Ontario, home.
He won Bronze at the 2008 Pan American Judo Championships in Miami and represented Canada in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. He trains in both Montreal and North York.  Sasha’s career Highlights include: 2008, 3rd Super World Cup, Hamburg, Germany;   2007, 3rd Pan-Americang Championships, Canada; 2007, 1st Swiss Open, Switzerland;  2005, 2nd Estonia World Cup, Estonia;  2007, 7th World Championships, Brazil.
<read more>.
 

Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan is an internationally renowned portrait artist, featured on Bravo’s Television’s popular Star Portraits series. Recent notable commissions include:  Mr. Mike Maedy (CEO Canon Canada), Sonja Bata (Bata Shoe Museum), Countess Von Wedel, Bishop Michael of Canada, Steam Whistle Founders, Dmitri Hvorostovski , Measha Bruggergosman and many more. Veronica was a First Place award Winner and Peoples’ choice Award Winner at the 2002 International Portrait Festival Competition in Toronto. She is a member of the Arts and Letters Club (Toronto) and founder of the Portrait Society of Canada.<read more>

Oil 24''x20''        
         
  Portrait of Helen Nichol by Deborah Pearce
  Badminton Olympic 2004
       
 

Helen Nichol is one of Canada's most accomplished female Badminton players. She was born on February 18, 1981. Her sporting accomplishments include:  PanAm Games, 2003 (Gold Medalist), Dominican Republlic International, 2003 (Gold Medalist), Brazil International, 2003 (Gold Medalist), Pan Am Team Championships, 2004 (Gold Medalist), CaReBaCo International, 2004 (2 gold Medals), Athens Olympics 2004 (17th place finish),  <read more>.

 

Deborah Pearce earned her BFA from Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. She studied art under Robert Bateman at Nelson HS, and received a Canada Council Grant to paint the people of Africa. She studied portraiture at the American Portrait Institute in New York under John Howard Sanden and is an award winning member of the Portrait Society of Canada. Deborah has spent her life painting commissioned portraits, across Canada.  She has also painted large scale commercial murals in Ontario and the US. Deborah has taught art from Cape Breton to Vancouver. Presently, she teaches painting and portraiture at the Burlington Art Centre. 

Acrylic 28''x28''        
         
  Portrait of Ian Millar on his horse by Johanne Demuy
  Equestrian, Olympic 1972-1988
       
 

Ian Millar was born in Nova Scotia in 1947.  For more than three decades, he has been at the forefront of the Canadian equestrian scene. Ian is the most decorated equestrian in Canadian history, earning numerous medals and over 130 Grand Prix and Derby victories. He is a world champion and Olympic vice-champion of show jumping. He has participated in nine Olympic games (1972 to 1988) and has won nine canadian championships in show jumping.   <read more>.

 

Johanne Demuy has been an artist and portrait painter for about 15 years. She attended the Mission Renaissance Fine Arts School in Montreal, graduating in 1995. There, she learned painting techniques from Old Masters to Impressionists.  This school’s teaching methodology involved recreating many Great Masters’ works. Johanne is a representational artist, at ease with portraits, still life, and landscapes, either in oil or soft pastel. She thinks the richness of a painting is determined by its subject matter and composition, and considers a painting finished when it awakens in her the beauty and emotion she wishes to convey. <read more>

Oil 32''x44''      
         
  Portrait of Jim Elder by Jean Miller Harding
  Equestrian, Olympic 1956-1976    
     

 

 

Jim Elder enjoyed more than three decades of Equestrian success, something rarely duplicated in other sports. He led Canada's Equestrian Team to numerous victories from the 1950s to the 1980s. During his 36 years in competition, Elder competed for Canada in seven Olympic games, five Pan American Games, and three World Championships. For his outstanding riding, Elder has won two Olympic Gold medals for team competition, in Mexico City (1968) and the alternate games in Rotterdam (1980).<read more>.

  Jean Miller Harding is a Canadian artist born into an artistic family from the Niagara region of Ontario. Besides their love of art, they’ve always had an intense interest in the form and functioning of the human body. After receiving an undergraduate degree in science and fine art history, specializing in the European masters of the Renaissance, Jean entered the Faculty of Medicine programme for Medical Art at the University of Toronto, graduating with honours and receiving the highest award for her artwork. For the 15 years following, she had a successful career as a freelance commercial medical illustrator, across North America. <read more>
Oil 30''x24''        
         
  Portrait of Marc Gagnon by Jean-Marie Laberge
  Speed Skating, Olympic 1994, 1998, 2002.
       
 

Marc Gagnon is one of the most successful athletes in the history of Canadian Winter Sports. An Olympian in 1994, 1998, and 2002, he won Gold at Salt Lake City in the 500m and 1500m relays. as well as Bronze in the 1500m . At Nagano, in 1998, he won Gold again in the 500m relay. With five olympic medals, Marc is the most decorated Canadian Olympic Athlete in the history of the Winter Olympic Games. In addition, he was five times World Champion and title-holder of all major Short Track Speed Skating races for many years. After a 24-year brilliant career in speed skating, out of which 10 were with the Olympic Canadian Team, he retired in 2002.

 

Jean-Marie Laberge was born in Chicoutimi, PQ, Canada. He has hundreds of sculptures in private collections in the US, Australia, Mexico, UK, France, Japan, and Canada—among them former MP Brian Mulroney and Jean Charest, Quebec LMP.  His work is also in corporate and public collections that include: Air Transat, Akan, Bombardier, Loto Quebec, Hydro Quebec, Glaxo International, CGI, Musee des Beaux Arts Sherbrooke, COPAP, Ultramar, Cegerco Inc, Canadian Bar Association, Metropolitan Insurance, and PFCN Inc. <read more>

Oil 38''x26''        
         
  Portrait of Brady Reardon by Deborah Pearce
  Canoe Olympic 2008
       
 

Brady Reardon is one of Canada's top canoeists. Born in, 1986. Brady won three Gold, three Silver and one Bronze medal in the 2007 Canadian Sprint Championships. In the 2007 World Championships he placed 26th.   He placed 17th In the World Cup in Germany, and in the World Cup in Hungary, 8th.  At the Beijing Olympics (2008), competing in his K-4 1000m sprint event he finished 9th overall in the finals. Brady is presently studying kinesiology at McMaster University. His father, Jim, paddled for Canada at the 1972 games in Munich.

 

Deborah Pearce earned her BFA from Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. She studied art under Robert Bateman at Nelson HS, and received a Canada Council Grant to paint the people of Africa. She studied portraiture at the American Portrait Institute in New York under John Howard Sanden and is an award winning member of the Portrait Society of Canada. Deborah has spent her life painting commissioned portraits, across Canada.  She has also painted large scale commercial murals in Ontario and the US. Deborah has taught art from Cape Breton to Vancouver. Presently, she teaches painting and portraiture at the Burlington Art Centre. 

Acrylic 28''x28''        
     
  Portrait of Clara Hughes by Jennifer Foster
  Cycling, Speed Skating Olympic 1996-2006
       
 

Clara Hughes’s Olympic dreams began in 1988, when she caught her first glimpse of the Winter Games on Television. Watching speed skaters glide around the oval inspired her to believe that one day she, too, could represent Canada in that same sport. Little did she imagine that in pursuing her speed skating dream, she would first compete in two Summer Olympic Games, in another sport—cycling. With over one hundred victories under her belt, including two Bronze Medals in the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, Clara had established herself as one of the best cyclists in the world. It was now time to refocus and pursue her Speed Skating Dream.<read more>.

 

Jennifer Foster's drawings and paintings stress an appreciation of the everyday world. They seek to capture and convey positive things found in everyday life:  the peace and grandeur of the landscape, and the warmth, dignity, and inner strength of people. Portraits are a particular passion for her because of the opportunity they offer to capture seemingly conflicting elements.  She believes that a portrait needs to be accurate and yet expressive, representational but also perceptive and open to what lies below the surface.  A portrait, for Jennifer, is much more than a likeness.<read more>

Oil 30''x24''        
         
  Portrait of Eric Lamaze by Marcy Silverberg
  Equestrian, Olympic 2008
       
 

Eric Lamaze is from Schomberg,Ontario. A winner of Olympic  Gold for Equestrian Individual Show Jumping in Beijing in 2008, his horse, Hickstead, is considered to be one of the finest around

 

Marcy Silverberg is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Seneca College, trained in  Computer Illustration.  She has participated in various shows in the Ontario countryside, solo and group.

Oil 70''x24''        
         
  Sculpture of Billy Bridges by J. A. Fligel
  Sledge Hockey Paralympic 2002,2006
       
  Billy Bridges was born in Summerside, PEI. He is a Paralympic Gold Medalist in Sledge Hockey.  Living with the effects of Spina Bifida, his limited mobility means he uses crutches. This disability hasn’t stopped Billy from gaining international notoriety as a powerful hockey player. Billy started playing sledge hockey in 1996 and made the National Team at 14 years of age. He holds the record for the youngest player to be selected to Canada’s National Sledge Hockey Team<read more>.   Jonathan A. Fligel was born in Scotland in 1966 to a family of artists. He has sculpted ever since he remembers, and it’s been natural for him to pursue this interest. In 1989, Jonathan received a BA Honours Degree in Fine Art in the United Kingdom. After graduation, he worked in the art department of Upper Springland, helping handicapped adults.  <read more>
Bronze 33''x12''x22"        
         
  Portrait of Josh McGuire by Jamie MacDonald
  Fencing, Olympic 2004,2008
       
 

Josh McGuire is a three-time Canadian champion. Born in 1983, he started fencing when he was only six years old, taking lessons at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He has been a member of Canada's National Men's Foil teams since 1996, and has proven himself time and again. In 2000, not only did Josh win gold at Canada's Nationals, in both the junior and senior categories, he also came first at the Cadet World Championships. His career has been on the rise since, with a qualification for, and 29th place finish at, the 2004 Athens Olympics when he was 21.    <read more>

 

Jamie MacDonald lives in Kingston, Ontario, and is a graduate of Queen’s University, with a BA (Hons) and BEd.  Aside from high school and community art classes, he has little formal artistic training, and has taught himself through an intuitive process.  Though he paints landscapes and illustrations, he prefers portraiture.  His goal, through portraiture, is to reveal the unique character of each person, and to tell their story as best he can. His medium of choice is oil, which he finds to be the most “satisfyingly messy.” <read more>

Oil 26''x32''        
         
  Portrait of Frazer Will by Hon Kong
  Judo, Olympic 2008
       
 

Frazer Will was born in 1982 in Saskatchewan, where he still lives, and is a judoka. He won Gold at the 2006 and 2007 Panamerican Championships, the 2007 Chinese Open, and three national championships in the lightweight (60 kg) division. He finished in 7th place in his division at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

 

Hon Kong, as a young Asian, Hon, immersed himself in a land of graphic novels, with Mangas and Animes.  For him, the comics and cartoons of North America don’t feel as real. Beyond expressing the dreams and fantasies of their North American counterparts, graphic novels told stories of actual historical legends. The realness of the Mangas and Animes made Hon want to make art with “strokes of his hand.”  <read more>

Acrylic 44''x52''        
       

 

  Portrait of Joannie Rochette by Marjorie Morton
  Figure Skating, Olympic 2006
       
 

Joannie Rochette is 5-time Canadian Champion in Women’s Single Figure Skating and reigning World Silver medalist. At the 2006 Olympic Games, in Turin, Italy, she placed 5th. Her elegant style and remarkable athleticism are a joy to watch. Joannie has represented Canada in several dozen international competitions. She has won medals in Canada, France, Germany, China and Russia and has stood on the podium 12 times in Grand Prix Series Competitions, alone..<read more>

  Marjorie Morton is a classical realist painter. She studied in Florence, Italy at the Charles Cecil Studios from 2000 - 2002 and at the Atelier Rebecca Harp in 2005, and with Irena Korosec of Bohemiarte, in Montreal, Quebec, between 2004 and 2007. She has exhibited in juried group and solo exhibitions and has work in collections in Canada, the US, and Italy. Marjorie was a finalist in the figurative category in the 2007 Art Renewal International Salon.  She is a Board Member of the Portrait Society of Canada and a charter member of the Canadian Society of Classical Realism.<read more>
Oil 20''x28''        
         
  Portrait of Sylvie Frechette by Marina Dieul
  Syncronized Swimming, Olympic 1992,1996
       
 

Sylvie Frechette was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1967.  She is a Canadian Synchronized Swimmer, who won Gold in the 1992 Summer Olympics and Silver in the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 1999, she was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. She has also contributed as a swimmer, designer, and coach to the synchronized swimming portions of Cirque du Soleil's "O," which opened at the Bellagio hotel, in Las Vegas, in 1998.

  Marina Dieul was born into a family of French and Canadian artists. She began visiting European museums when very young, absorbing the talent of the great masters. As a natural outcome, she followed her artistic vocation and completed studies in Fine Arts in France. More recently, she studied with Tim Stotz and Michelle Tully, former students of Ted Seth Jacobs.   <read more>
Oil 34''x40''        
       

 

  Portrait of Yann Mathieu by Martha Southwell
  Wheelchair tennis Paralympic 2008
       
 

Yann Mathieu is a Wheelchair Tennis Athlete. In 2008, he and three other Wheelchair Tennis Players representing Canada, attended the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing. Appointed by the Canadian Paralympic Committee, these athletes are the best in their class. Yann trained for the Paralympics in a high performance system, which provides coaching and resources to help athletes to achieve their optimum performance. He competed against 64 of the world’s best athletes in men's singles and doubles events. Yann resides in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec and is currently ranked no. 2 in Men's Wheelchair Tennis in Canada.<read more>

 

Martha Southwell  is a classical realist artist residing in the Niagara region of Ontario.  Her paintings show the beauty in all subject-matter and the essence of the human spirit.  Painting subjects include people, wildlife, landscape, architecture, and vintage cars.  Her paintings are delicate in style, but strongly convey the subject’s personality.  Martha is a member of the Portrait Society of Canada and has attended several conferences on the art of portraiture. In 2008, her painting, “The Champion,” was a finalist in the Portrait Society’s International Portrait Arts Festival. <read more>

 

Oil 29''x41''        
         
  Portrait of Joannie Rochette by Marjorie Morton
  Figure Skating, Olympic 2006
       
 

Joannie Rochette is 5-time Canadian Champion in Women’s Single Figure Skating and reigning World Silver medalist. At the 2006 Olympic Games, in Turin, Italy, she placed 5th. Her elegant style and remarkable athleticism are a joy to watch. Joannie has represented Canada in several dozen international competitions. She has won medals in Canada, France, Germany, China and Russia and has stood on the podium 12 times in Grand Prix Series Competitions, alone..<read more>

  Marjorie Morton is a classical realist painter. She studied in Florence, Italy at the Charles Cecil Studios from 2000 - 2002 and at the Atelier Rebecca Harp in 2005, and with Irena Korosec of Bohemiarte, in Montreal, Quebec, between 2004 and 2007. She has exhibited in juried group and solo exhibitions and has work in collections in Canada, the US, and Italy. Marjorie was a finalist in the figurative category in the 2007 Art Renewal International Salon.  She is a Board Member of the Portrait Society of Canada and a charter member of the Canadian Society of Classical Realism.<read more>
Oil 26''x34''        
         
  Sculpture of Sami Jo by J. A. Fligel
  Women's hockey Olympic 1998-2008
       
 

Sami Jo Small grew up on the outdoor hockey rinks of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her passion for the game was honed in the Boys’ Minor Hockey System. As the only girl, she was forced, each and every day, to prove that she belonged.  This came through hard work and determination. Like her teammates, she dreamed of playing in the NHL. But, she also had a greater personal dream: to step onto the podium at the Olympic Games. She accepted a scholarship to Stanford University for Track and Field to throw the discus and javelin. Her dream of participating in the Olympic Games flourished until injury plagued her career.  She assuaged her feelings of failure by returning to the game she grew up loving: hockey.<read more>

   Jonathan A. Fligel was born in Scotland in 1966 to a family of artists. He has sculpted ever since he remembers, and it’s been natural for him to pursue this interest. In 1989, Jonathan received a BA Honours Degree in Fine Art in the United Kingdom. After graduation, he worked in the art department of Upper Springland, helping handicapped adults.<read more>
Bronze 33''x9"x22"        
         
  Portrait or Jennifer Robinson by Margaret Ludwig
  Figure Skating, Olympic 2002
       
 

Jennifer Robinson was born in 1976 in Goderich, Ontario, and is a Canadian figure skater who finished 7th at the 2002 Winter Olympics. She is a six-time national champion. After she finished her amateur skating career, she skated professionally with Stars on Ice. Presently living in Barrie, Ontario, she has been involved with, and has done some on-air, radio work at CIQB-FM.  She has worked with Darren Stevens as well as hosting a dinner hour news show called First Local for Simcoe County’s Ontario Public Access Rogers Cable Station.

 

Margaret Florence Ludwig was born in 1928 in Peterborough, Ontario. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art (1951).  Her further studies include: the Artist's Workshop, Central Technical School, The Toronto School of Art, and York University. Margaret taught sculpture at the Artist's Workshop (1977-1979) She is a member of the Heliconian Club, the Arts and Letters Club, and the Portrait Society of Canada.

 


Oil 24''x18''        
         
  Portrait of Evert Bastet by Steven Rosati
  Sailing, Olympic 1968-1984
       
 

Evert Bastet was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He moved with his family to Dorval in 1955 at the age of five. Evert grew up beside Dorval's Yacht Club, where he began sailing at the age of nine and competing at age 11.<read more>

 

Steven Rosati
Steven has studied the style and technique of the old European masters and instills his paintings with the same remarkable realism and beauty. <read more>

Oil 40''x18''      
         
  Portrait of Petra Burka by Margaret Ludwig
  Figure Skating, Olympic 1964    
       
 

Petra Burka was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1946. The daughter of Ellen Burka, she came to Canada with her parents in 1951. In 1961, she was the Junior Canadian Skating Champion and the Senior Canadian Champion from  1964-1966. In 1965 she won the World Figure Skating Championships, the first Canadian to win the event since Barbara Ann Scott in 1947. She represented Canada at the 1964 Olympics and won the Bronze medal. She was also two times Bronze medallist at the World Championships.

  Margaret Florence Ludwig was born in 1928 in Peterborough, Ontario. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art (1951).  Her further studies include: the Artist's Workshop, Central Technical School, The Toronto School of Art, and York University. Margaret taught sculpture at the Artist's Workshop (1977-1979) and is a member of the Heliconian Club, the Arts and Letters Club, and the Portrait Society of Canada.
Oil 23''x18''        
         
  Portrait of Lauren Woolstencroft by Liane Amendy
  Alpine Ski Paralympic 2008    
       
  Lauren Woolstencroft  is a Canadian Paralympic Alpine Skier.  She was born missing her left arm below the elbow, as well as both legs below the knees. She began competitive skiing at the age of 14, and represented Canada at the 2002 Winter Paralympic in Salt Lake City, winning two Gold medals and a Bronze. At the 2006 Paralympic Games in Turin, she won Gold in the Giant Slalom and Silver in the Super G.  In 2007, during the International Paralympic Committee's General Assembly in SeouL, Lauren was named the Paralympic Sport Awards’ Best Female Athlete.  

Liane Amendy paints Canadian landscapes and people. Her greatest interest is in portraits and figurative art. Currently she is working on a series of paintings, which will combine both landscapes and figures.

         
         
  Portrait or Jennifer Robinson by Margaret Ludwig
  Figure Skating, Olympic 2006
       
  Jennifer Robinson was born in 1976 in Goderich, Ontario, and is a Canadian figure skater who finished 7th at the 2002 Winter Olympics. She is a six-time national champion. After she finished her amateur skating career, she skated professionally with Stars on Ice. Presently living in Barrie, Ontario, she has been involved with, and has done some on-air, radio work at CIQB-FM.  She has worked with Darren Stevens as well as hosting a dinner hour news show called First Local for Simcoe County’s Ontario Public Access Rogers Cable Station.   Margaret Florence Ludwig was born in 1928 in Peterborough, Ontario. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art (1951).  Her further studies include: the Artist's Workshop, Central Technical School, The Toronto School of Art, and York University. Margaret taught sculpture at the Artist's Workshop (1977-1979) .She is a member of the Heliconian Club, the Arts and Letters Club, and the Portrait Society of Canada.
         
         
  Portrait of Tracy Cameron by Kelly Morehouse
  Rowing, Olympic 2008
       
 

Tracy Cameron was born in Nova Scotia in 1975, her hometown is Shubenacadie.
Her current club affiliation is the Calgary Rowing Club.
Tracy competed and won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China in the women's lightweight doubles with partner Melanie Kok.
Other key results include: 2008 - 1st in the lwt. double, World Cup, Poznan, Poland; 2008 - 3rd in the lwt. double, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland;<read more>


  Kelly Morehouse was born in Newfoundland and raised in both the USA and Canada. She studied art at NSCAD University and now works from her hobby farm in Nova Scotia where she lives with her husband and daughter. Her work, for which she has won several awards, has been added to a number of private collections. She is a member of the Portrait Society of Canada and the Hants County Arts Council. She enjoys a busy round of exhibitions, including three showings in the annual spring show of the East Hants Fine Arts Association, for which she has twice been awarded Best in Show. <read more>
         
  Portrait of Angus Mortimer by Jinny Slyfield
  Kayaking, Olympic 2008
       
  Angus Mortimer has been kayaking since he was 10 years old, when he joined the Rideau Canoe Club in Ottawa. Paddling as a member of Team Canada, he attended his first World Championships in 2005, finishing 14th in the K4 500m event. The following year, he competed in K2 1,000m at the World Championships, making it to the semi-final. Angus had a breakthrough in 2007, winning 3 medals at the Pan-American Games in Brazil: gold in the K1 1,000m and silver in the K1 500m and K4 1,000m.<read more>.   Jinny Slyfield strongly believes in a visual record of history and life. She treasures hand-tinted photographs of her ancestors, and has long been a keen observer of faces and expressions. She began painting models in costume at the Ottawa School of Art, and is fascinated by the variety of traditional costumes and facial structures of recent immigrants. She plans to embark on a series of First Nations people and has enjoyed painting Angus Mortimer, an Olympic medal winner at Beijing. <read more>
         
         
  Portrait of Simon Whitfield by Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan
  Triathlon, Olympic 2000, 2004, 2008
       
 

Simon Whitfield was born May 16, 1975 in Kingston Ontario. Finished 2007 ranked second in the world. The three-time Olympian who is regarded as one of the world's top triathletes, won gold at the 2000 Games in Sydney and finished 11th at the Athens Games in 2004, won silver medal in Beijing 2008.Won three World Cup events in 2007 and took first at the 2008 World Cup event in Ishigaki, Japan. Has 15 World Cup podium finishes and is tied for second among all-time World Cup winners with 11 victories. Placed fourth at the 2007 World Championships in Hamburg, Germany. Won gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Was the bronze medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games in Canada.

  Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tsyglan is an internationally renowned portrait artist, featured on Bravo’s Television’s popular Star Portraits series. Recent notable commissions include:  Mr. Mike Maedy (CEO Canon Canada), Sonja Bata (Bata Shoe Museum), Countess Von Wedel, Bishop Michael of Canada, Steam Whistle Founders, Dmitri Hvorostovski , Measha Bruggergosman and many more. Veronica was a First Place award Winner and Peoples’ choice Award Winner at the 2002 International Portrait Festival Competition in Toronto. She is a member of the Arts and Letters Club (Toronto) and founder of the Portrait Society of Canada. <read more>
Oil 24''x20''        
  Portrait of Daniel Nestor by Irene Antia
  Tennis, Olympic 2000.
       
  Daniel Nestor was born in Belgrade,Yugoslavia Sept 4, 1972 and moved to Toronto just before his fourth birthday. He is Canada's most successful, and longest playing, tennis player. He is the world's Number 1 Doubles tennis player. He has currently won 62 tennis titles, including 4 Grand Slams and Wimbledon 2008 and 2009. In 2000, he won the Olympic Gold medal for Canada in Sydney, Australia. He also plays for Canada in the Davis Cup.  <read more>.   rene Antia saw Daniel Nestor to be a logical subject for her Olympic portrait. She is a keen tennis player, herself, and has followed his very successful career.  Also, she is always surprised that he doesn't get more “hype” in the local news as he was brought up in Willowdale, Toronto. Irene finds this athlete’s facial structure distinctive and interesting to draw.  She incorporated the maple leaf from Canada’s flag into the design because Daniel won Gold for Canada, in 2000. The red background signifies energy and passion, which Irene believes is a must to constantly win at tennis. And, of course, this color is in the flag too, with the gold representing the gold of the Olympic medal.<read more>
         
         
    Portrait of OLE SORENSEN by Deborah Kerr
    Wrestling , Olympic 1972
         
  Ole Sorensen, a baker’s son from St. Catherines Ontario was Canada’s only Greco-Roman style wrestler at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. A former national university and Canadian open wrestling champion; Sorensen also represented Canada at the World Universiade, Commonwealth Games and Senior World Championships. When asked, Sorensen described his Olympic experience as bitter sweet.<read more>.   Deborah Kerr is a self-taught artist specializing in portraiture. She grew up  with opportunities of travel to experience people and cultures.  Sketching at a young age she concentrated sketching studiously  to her 11th year where pastels and her first oil painting was introduced. Inevitably she set her goals to pursue her drive to capture the life of the figure. She has won numerous awards in festivals and juried shows, including the prestigious Grand Prix, Portrait Society of Canada's Arts Festival in Toronto.
         
  Portrait of Paul and John Craig by Miller Harding
  Track & Field , Olympic 1976
       
 

John and Paul Craig were born in Toronto on September 2, 1953. Raised by parents who encouraged them at every turn, and coached by a few remarkable men, they attended the University of Texas in Austin, winning several SWC Championships along the way. Paul represented Canada at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, setting a Canadian record in the 1,500m and getting into the semi-final. His record stood for 11 years. He finished 7th in the World Championships in 1979 while John finished 8th in the World Championships in 1981 in Rome.<read more>.

  Jean Miller Harding is a Canadian artist born into an artistic family from the Niagara region of Ontario. Besides their love of art, they’ve always had an intense interest in the form and functioning of the human body. After receiving an undergraduate degree in science and fine art history, specializing in the European masters of the Renaissance, Jean entered the Faculty of Medicine programme for Medical Art at the University of Toronto, graduating with honours and receiving the highest award for her artwork. <read more>
         
  Portrait of Alex Baumann by Susan Makin
  Swimming , Olympic 1984    
       
  Alex Baumann is an Officer of the Order of Canada, appointee of the Order of Ontario, and member of the Canadian Sports and Canadian Amateur Sports Halls of Fame. He has an Honorary PhD in Physical Education (Laurentian University)<read more>.   Susan R. Makin, brush on canvas, strives to reveal the best in people, objects, and abstraction. Her mission: to develop clear, powerful, and purposeful expressions and associations with “happy art.”  <read more>
         
  Portrait of Kalyna Roberge by Valda-Christine Glennie
  Speed Skating, Olympic 2010    
       
  Kalyna Roberge was born in St-Etienne-de-Lauzon and currently lives in Montreal. She is a Canadian Speed skater who started speed skating at seven years of age after watching her brothers skate.  Named Female Althlete of the Year in 2008 at the Canadian Sports awards and Female Skater of the Year for short track by Speed Skating Canada in both ’07 and ‘08, she is a rising star and named as such in ’05  for short track by Speed Skating Canada<read more>.  

Valda-Christine Glennie is a Londoner who earned a B.A. at the University of Western Ontario, a B.Sc. A.A.M. (Art As Applied to Medicine) from the University of Toronto and has completed Sheridan College's Computer Animation program. She has worked as a medical illustrator freelancing in Toronto and as a computer animator in the US for Andover.net, Inc. Recently Valda-Christine returned to Canada and is now pursuing a life long interest in portrait painting working from her studio on Dundas Street in the heart of downtown London, Ontario.

         
  Portrait of Becky Kellar by Deborah Pearce
  Hockey, Olympic 1998, 2002, 2006,2 010
       
  Becky Kellar was born January 1, 1975 in Hagersville, Ontario and plays defence for Canada’s Olympic Hockey team. Kellar played for Canada in: the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where she won a silver medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where she won a gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where she won a second gold medal and will be playing again in the Winter Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver, B.C., and if she medals, will be one of the first Canadians to win medals in four consecutive Olympics. Becky attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island from 1993-1997 and played on the ice hockey team, as well as 2nd base on the softball team. <read more>.   Deborah Pearce earned her BFA from Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. She studied art under Robert Bateman at Nelson HS, and received a Canada Council Grant to paint the people of Africa. She studied portraiture at the American Portrait Institute in New York under John Howard Sanden and is an award winning member of the Portrait Society of Canada. Deborah has spent her life painting commissioned portraits, across Canada.  She has also painted large scale commercial murals in Ontario and the US. Deborah has taught art from Cape Breton to Vancouver. Presently, she teaches painting and portraiture at the Burlington Art Centre. 
         
  Portrait of Kalyna Roberge by Valda-Christine Glennie
  Speed Skating, Olympic 2010
  Kalyna Roberge was born in St-Etienne-de-Lauzon and currently lives in Montreal. She is a Canadian Speed skater who started speed skating at seven years of age after watching her brothers skate.  Named Female Althlete of the Year in 2008 at the Canadian Sports awards and Female Skater of the Year for short track by Speed Skating Canada in both ’07 and ‘08, she is a rising star and named as such in ’05  for short track by Speed Skating Canada<read more>.   Valda-Christine Glennie is a Londoner who earned a B.A. at the University of Western Ontario, a B.Sc. A.A.M. (Art As Applied to Medicine) from the University of Toronto and has completed Sheridan College's Computer Animation program. She has worked as a medical illustrator freelancing in Toronto and as a computer animator in the US for Andover.net, Inc. Recently Valda-Christine returned to Canada and is now pursuing a life long interest in portrait painting working from her studio on Dundas Street in the heart of downtown London, Ontario.
       
  Portrait of Daniel Nestor by Irene Antia
  Tennis, Olympic 2000.
       
       
         
  Portrait of Patrick Chan by Judith Sinclair
  Figure Skating, Olympic 2010
       
  Born in Ottawa, Patrick Chan has been figure skating since the age of five. He has won three consecutive National titles from 2003 to 2005, and became the first Canadian men’s figure skater since 1984 to place top three at the World Figure Skating Championships. Patrick kick-started the 2008-2009 season by winning two Grand Prix events, the 2008 Skate Canada International and the 2008 Trophee Eric Bombard, winning gold and qualifying him for the Grand Prix Final. Patrick is currently the Four Continents Champion, having won gold in 2009. He also won gold in the 2009 Canadian Figure Skating Championships. He is the World Silver Medalist and the reigning Canadian Men’s Champion. In the 2010 Olympics, his first try at the Olympics, he ranked fifth in the Men’s Long Program.   Originally from Montreal, Judith Sinclair has drawn and painted for as long as she could remember. She excels in the use of colour, design, texture and form, especially as it pertains to portraiture and landscape painting; Judith has also sculpted portraits. Having studied privately with some of Canada’s finest artists, she also studied fine art at the Ontario College of Art, Graphic Design at George Brown College and Portraiture and Still Life at the Studios of Morton Harris and Michael John Angel. Her works are in private and corporate collections in Canada, England, Israel, U.S.A. and Australia. Judith works as a full-time artist in North York and teaches privately in her home studio.
         
 
Burlington City Hall invited all of Burlington’s Olympic athletes to celebrate the torch run on January 19th parading in front of city hall.  The Teen Tour Band accompanied the torch parade while 22 Olympic Athletes and officials aged 23 to 74 were honoured at the reception.  Deborah Pearce, a professional portrait painter, has been painting a series of local Olympians for the Portrait Society of Canada.  City Hall asked Deborah, along with her portraits, to be up on the podium with the athletes on this great day to honour Burlington’s Olympians.  The athletes and Deborah were given Olympic mittens and we handed out Olympic flags to the audience anxiously awaiting the torch arrival.