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Toni Onley was born in the Isle of Man, in 1928. He remembers loving watercolours from the time he was a little boy in Catholic school. Unfortunately, art wasn't considered important during this time in Ireland and he didn't receive any formal art traing
until he was 14, when he enrolled at the Douglas School of Art.
In 1948 Toni and his family decided to leave for the New World, settling in Ontario.
The fifties were a difficult time for Toni, emotionally and economically. He joined his father in
Penticton, hoping for a fresh start.
He began to teach art to children and seniors, painting Okanagan landscapes in his spare time. He took a job as an architectural draftsman until, in 1957, he earned a scholarship to the Instituto Allende in Mexico
and moved down there with his two daughters.
Since 1964, Toni has travelled the world many times over. He always returns to British Columbia and Japan, revelling in the serenity that these countries have to offer.
Toni always paints from life,
taking risks by flying into remote areas on his amphibious flying boat. He is truly passionate about his work, which provides him with inner peace and adventure.
Toni Onley took one too many risks and on Sunday, February 29, 2004 he crashed his
plane into the Fraser River. This outstanding Canadian artist will be missed by many. Canada has lost a great artist and we have lost a wonderful friend.
"One of the great pleasures of watercolour is meditating on the compositional and
atmospheric possibilities of its luminous transparencies."
-Toni Onley-
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For more information on this artist, email us
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EDUCATION
Douglas School of Art, Isle of Man
Studied under Carl Shaefer
Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende
HONOURS, AWARDS
Officer of the Order of Canada, 1997
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
OC
CORPORATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Tate Gallery, London
Vancouver Art Gallery
Library of Congress
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
MEDIUM
Watercolour
MUSEUMS
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
National Gallery of Canada
Seattle Art Museum
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