James (Jim) William Shortt ( 1926-1989 )
Title ” Forest Stream ”
Size 14″ x 18″ ( 23 3/4″ x 27 3/4″ framed ) ………$395.00 Canadian
From a Dictionary of Canadian Artist
James W. Shortt
1926-1989
Born in Toronto, ON, he was raised near Nobleton just north of the city. At the age of 14 he took lessons from Grace Coombs, OSA, (V. l, DCA) noted Canadian artist. Coombs taught both commercial and fine art at the OCA. From the age of 18 until he was thirty-eight, Shortt made his living as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. When time permitted on the weekends, he painted landscapes on location, from 1968 until his death, in Algonquin Park, Algoma, Georgian Bay, Muskoka, Haliburton, Kawarthas, Ottawa Valley, southern Ontario rural farms and other locations. In 1968 he was commissioned to paint ten canvases depicting a century of Canadian hardware history for the Canadian Retail Hardware Association and the paintings were exhibited at the Sportsman Show at Orillia, ON. They also appeared on the Association’s calendar in 1970. Shortt was a trained portrait painter and did many portraits including young people who dropped into The Grotto, a refuge and centre for the homeless young, operated in the basement of St. Paul’s Church in Toronto. He taught art at the Guild Inn and lectured at the Scarborough Art Guild. Bob Pennington in his Toronto Star column related, “Shortt’s stature as an artist can be measured in this tribute from Kenneth K. Forbes, one of Canada’s foremost portrait painters . . . ‘Jim Shortt exemplifies the difference between a painting that looks like nature and a photograph of the same scene. Both are realistic, but his painting will also have conception, composition and style. He plays his warm and cool colors beautifully, adding art to nature. This is a really outstanding painter with the soul of a poet.'” Jim Shortt died at the age of 62 in 1989 and at the time of his death was survived by his wife, Lee, daughter Jane Cockburn, son Jeff, granddaughters Elizabeth and Katie, sisters Elizabeth Matheson and Margaret Armstrong and brother Terrence. His solo shows included: auditorium of the Markham Centennial Library ON (1970); Mercantile Bank, RichmondAdelaide Centre, Tor., ON (1970); Gibson House, Art Gallery, Willowdale, ON (1971); Scarborough Civic Centre, ON (1979); Cedar Ridge Studio Gallery, Scarborough (Retrospective, 1986) and others. He is represented in the following collections: IBM, Simpson’s, Tor.; ON Road Builders; Grand and Toy; Intl. Trust; Steed and Evans Const.; Disher Farran Const.; Dofasco and many other fortunate collectors of his work.
Copyright of the artist and or the artist estate.