Ian McDougall, In Memoriam: A Tribute To His Life And His Art

Ian McDougall

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Raised on a farm a few miles west of Balderson, Ontario, Ian left Lanark County to attend the University of Windsor where he received his Bachelor of Fine Art Degree, Bachelor of Education and his Ontario Teachers Certificate. Since 2003, Ian had been teaching art at General Vanier Intermediate School in Cornwall, Ontario. On March 15th, 2007, Ian passed away, much too soon, at the age of 41, in St.Andrews West, Ontario.

In a wordless way, Ian explored simpler days of hard work and honest labour. His paintings were thoughtful studies of men and women at work with their horses and machines. These images paid homage to that rural mythology which remembers these men and women for their actions and labours, but Ian looked beyond the individuals to glorify and illuminate the awesome environment itself which pushed these people to their limit. Reminiscent and optimistic, Ian's paintings combined the faint memories of faded photographs with the bold vitality of romantic impressionism.

His sculptures were strong compositions executed with an economy of line acknowledging the frugal lives they captured. This alchemy, which instilled a detached point of view, took us past nostalgia and regret to some empathetic acknowledgment of man's ongoing toils and struggles set against the awesome beauty around us.

Conversely, Ian's versatility was visible through his sculptured helmets and his graphic art work where his vivid creativity soared to worlds unknown, in a temporal space where fantasy and reality became one and where limits disappeared.

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All work and pictures are Copyright of the Estate of the artist, Ian McDougall, and may not be used, or altered without the express permission of the Estate.
All works are original creations.