Spotlight On Tom Roberts
AUGUST AFTERNOON. ST. OCTAVE, 20 x 26 in., oil on masonite, c. 1970
Tom Roberts’ family owned and operated the Roberts Gallery from 1870-1948. He studied at Central Technical School under Peter Haworth, Charles Goldhammer, and Carl Schaefer. At the Ontario College of Art he studied under J. W. Beatty, Fred Haines, and F. S. Challener.
Roberts painted Canada from coast to coast but the subject matter that was most familiar to him were the small town Ontario storefronts, mills, and people. Easily accessible for day trips from his Port Credit home, the artist would load up the car with his supplies and head out on a sketching trip, sometimes sleeping overnight in his car.
These works showed an affection for his subject and an appreciation of the simple life of small town living. His work was sold to collectors throughout Canada during his 60 year career as an artist. He exhibited from coast to coast, including 32 annual exhibitions at Eaton’s Fine Art Gallery in Toronto. He was a member of the Ontario Society of Artists and the Royal Canadian Academy. His work is found in many public, corporate and private collections in Canada and the U.S.
He continued his affiliation with Roberts Gallery until his passing in 1998.
