Greg Angus Biography

Greg Angus was born in Burlington, Ontario, and currently resides in Toronto.  He has participated in solo and group exhibitions around the world including Canada, Japan, France, and Scotland.

Mr. Angus' work can be found in many important corporate collections including the Thames Bank in London, England, Tech giant SAP, Germany, Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, Prudential Securities in Tokyo, Japan, SKW Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan, Juroku Bank in Tokyo, Japan. Some of his past paintings have featured actor William Shatner, industrial designer Karim Rashid, international fashion-designed David Dixon, bestselling author Neil Pasricha, and many more.

Education:

Queen's University - 1984,  Bachelor of Fine Arts.
University of British Columbia - 1986, Masters of Fine Arts.

Artist Process:

Each piece is made through the encaustic medium incorporating oil paint as colour on rigid wooden panels. Two different types of wax are melted down and oil paint is added to the liquid wax to create a variety of colours. Each colour is applied to the panel in a single, complete layer. Layers are built up in specific colour sequences in order to achieve the correct frequency for the base of the painting.

From there the composition is drawn onto the base panel. The negative areas of the composition are removed down to the panel allowing for a second, multiple layering of colour. This second layering is different from the first and is based on the quality of energy needed within the painting. Furthermore, because the second set of layers is applied to a base that has an uneven, almost landscape-like surface, the layers of wax move into these cracks and valleys in unexpected ways leaving behind an exponentially more complex surface that marks the beginning of the final stage.

Scrapers, chisels, and knives are used to whittle away at the surface revealing the overall skeleton of the painting. Over the course of days and weeks, this delicate excavation is repeated. It is a painstaking, intuitive process that demands absolute concentration and a complete letting go. When this state is arrived at by the panel/wax/colour/painter the painting is complete.

 

Additional Information:

His work has been discussed over the years in The Globe and Mail, Japanese Culture Magazine, Now Magazine, MAG Mass Art Guide, Pie Magazine, and featured on CBC News World (to name just a few). Greg has been the recipient of Provincial grants to run special art projects for youth, the George Metcalf Charitable Foundation Grant, and the Arts in the Community Grant from the Toronto Arts Council.