Gordon Drysdale was born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. His artistic talents have been abundantly evident since early childhood. Gordon has always been close to a paint brush or a pencil exercising and honing his skills as an artist and craftsman. In 1988 Gordon returned to his home roots in Sudbury Ontario after spending 12 years in Medicine Hat, Alberta and 7 years on Manitoulin Island. 1988 was the year of decision to take a step in faith and persue, full time, the art career that was so obviously destined to be his."It is a gift and a gift should be used,to honour the giver, especially when it comes from the ultimate gift giver".
Since embarking on this journey, Gordon has produced hundreds of works of art. He began working in oils and switched to acrylics for speed and versatility by 1995. He is accomplished in both of these media as well as watercolour, conte`and pen & ink.
Gordon has produced over 40 limited edition prints, including those displayed on this web-site. His paintings have been purchased by corporate and private collectors around the world, and include two in the permanent collection of the Province of Ontario.
Gordon paints in a very realistic style and many of his works are often mistaken for photographs. In 1999 he won the national first place award in the ART OF THE AUTOMOBILE competition,sponsored by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. In 2000 he took national third in the same venue and national second place in 2002. This competition was unfortunately discontinued in 2005.
Gordon's forte` is his ability to capture, with great realism, the nostalgic appeal of the automobile and it's historical signifigance in society. Many of these works show old abandoned autos in quaint rural settings or in period motifs.
Gord has restored four antique cars and has owned many. This has given him a unique insight into the technology of the automobile. The evidence is demonstrated in the total accuracy of his auto renderings and places the authority of subject knowledge indisputably in his command. He has also built 5 new homes and designed at least 3 of them. Again, this experience affords him the unique ability to understand the architectural subjects he paints with an authority not common among artists.
When you observe Gord's architectural subjects combined with the auto or his landscapes and wildlife pieces, you will immediately recognize his versatility and skill at approaching a variety of subjects. This is a rare quality amongst the world's foremost artists.
Unlike impressionist artists, a realist artist may spend hundreds of hours on a single subject. The only way this can be successfully executed is by using the camera as an extension of the eye and freezing the moment to be painted. Gord has a keen sense for historical accuracy and often spends more time researching a subject than actual easel time. One example of this is in the preparation for the Avro Arrow painting. Eight books and a dozen personal interviews later and the work was just getting underway. Gord goes to the extreme to satisfy his desire for perfection. In an attempt to get the perfect perspective for his subject ( Science North ) in Sudbury, Gord Hired a $600. a day eighty foot high crane for two days. There was no other way to capture the precise angle to make the scene just right.
For more insight into the art of Gordon Drysdale, please read the commentaries on the featured prints and originals on this web-site
Feel free to e-mail Gordon.
Time is a thief which quickly and silently removes fragile images of our past. I paint to preserve and appreciate what soon will be gone
