About me

As a Canadian painter of group portraits and history paintings, my art practice consists of three related objectives: artistic growth, environmental stewardship, and fidelity to my interests. Largely self-taught, I started painting with some friends in the basement of a student house in Toronto almost twenty years ago. My work was inconsistent and unfocussed, but I loved the immense challenge of giving voice to my inspiration within the physical constraints of paint and canvas. Artistic growth became an important part of my practice, and through perseverance I have continued to hone my craft. I am grateful to many people for feeding my interest and guiding my practice up till now.

I have developed my process into a unique style. With technical proficiency comes the freedom to think creatively about the execution of the image, and to do so consistently.

When I was a child, my father was the family photographer, and every image was an event. We looked forward to seeing the pictures that came back from the lab, since it might be weeks or months after they were taken. For me, painting is about creating a pretext for contemplation, which is why I’ve adopted these same time-worn rhythms in my art practice. The intention is fully developed by the time I prime the canvas, and the sketch is an opportunity to interpret my source material. In my more ambitious works, I assemble a variety of elements into a single composition, focusing on the important factors of interest and fidelity. Then, I separate solid blocks of colour with carefully delineated contours to create a cartoon-like impression. This process contributes in large part to the character of my work.

Art ought to ask critical questions of universal relevance to the human condition.

The posed figures, frozen scenes and cryptic tableaus that are present in my paintings are stylistically influenced by the colours and techniques of medieval wall paintings, cartoons and conceptual photography. Theoretically, my work is inspired by the traditions of history painting and modernism, though I have increasingly begun to reference the conventions of academicism. I am committed to an eclectic approach so that my art can engage with the questions of human nature without being overshadowed by a political or ideological agenda.

As a steward of memories, I am caring for the earth. For myself, the environmental impact of my art is something I take seriously and for which I have complete responsibility. 

When it comes to the materials I use, I choose to primarily use off-tint and re-purposed latex house-paints, which are sourced for my art by diverting them from the waste stream. Similarly, I use sustainable wood stretchers and cotton canvas, which can be replenished from living plants. I also use re-purposed mirror and picture frames for my art, which diverts perfectly usable materials from the landfill by giving them a second life. Finally, I aspire to produce art which is beautiful and well-made, which resists commodification and is not based on momentary consumer tastes. The primary environmental benefit of my art therefore comes from being something which lasts.

Timothy deVries has established a solid artist profile in Hamilton, Ontario.

I was born and continue to work in and around Hamilton, Ontario. Beginning in 2009, I participated for six years in an art collective (Thou Art Party), and learned the discipline of making art to share during the monthly parties we hosted for visitors attending the James Street Art Crawl. Following that, I became an enthusiastic member of Hamilton Artists Inc., and participated in FAIL, my first professional group show in 2015. Since then, I have shown my art at the Hamilton Audio-Visual Node, McMaster Innovation Centre, and Hamilton Public Library.

In May 2023, Millworks Creative hosted a major self-presented solo show of more than twenty of my paintings in Hamilton.