Brigitte Granton – Artist

Although many of my father’s paintings seemed to be influenced by Picasso, my major influence was the Group of Seven. Having camped and travelled in many of the areas they painted, I felt an affinity with them in many ways.

My paintings simply represent my passion for the natural world seen through my eyes. For me, it’s all about light and how it interacts with colour and form in the environment. I usually paint or am inspired by real locations, areas that I feel connected to. Although I have travelled throughout Canada, it is Ontario, my home, that I have the greatest affinity for. My paintings are often based on the local landscapes of rolling hills, marshes and woodlands to the rocky Canadian shield and white pine-studded shorelines of the northern lakes.
I am basically a self-taught artist, guided, at a young age, by my father in oils. I experimented and attended workshops on many different media throughout my life, among which pen and ink and oil paints were my favourites and my primary focus. To this day, I still use pen and ink to draw botanicals for the North American Native Plant Society bulletins.

School has a way of forcing us to make decisions and in high school I decided to continue my education in the natural sciences. I knew I could continue painting and exploring my artistic side while pursuing an MSc degree in Zoology at university which would likely result in a secure job. I eventually acquired positions in Medical research as an electron microscopist and later as a Forensic Technician in the Biology Unit of the Centre of Forensic Sciences. While they were interesting jobs, I still felt most passionate about creating art and continued to paint, focussing on it full-time after raising a family.

I now live in the hills of King Township, close to the Oak Ridges Moraine trails where I walk daily with my dog and find artistic inspiration everywhere. I regularly explore the Parry Sound/ Muskoka areas and Algonquin Provincial Park, canoeing, hiking and photographing the landscape or painting en plein air.

I have been a full-time professional artist now for many years. I regularly participate in juried art shows and have won numerous awards. My natural world artwork can be found in several galleries, published in calendars, used for corporate logos, and in private and corporate collections throughout the world.