Ken Danby
Ken Danby (1940–2007) was a Canadian painter who discovered his passion for drawing and painting during high school. Danby is known for his realistic painting and printmaking. His work gained recognition for utilizing the centuries-old egg tempera technique, which he extensively employed in the 1960s and 1970s. At first, Danby delved into watercolor to experiment with specific aspects and subtleties within the subjects portrayed in his larger paintings. As his career progressed, he expanded his artistic skill by incorporating oil and acrylic paints, enabling him to create larger-scale works such as his remarkable eight-foot-wide painting, Stampede (2006), considered one of his last paintings.
Danby was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He enrolled at the Ontario College of Art in 1958. However, the school did not fulfill his artistic aspirations, so he quit and embarked on an independent artistic journey. Inspired by the works of Andrew Wyeth, Danby developed a deep interest in photo-realism and chose challenging mediums, such as the egg tempera, to bring his artistic vision to life. His subject matter was depictions of Canadian landscapes and everyday scenes and aimed to portray a photographic quality. Among his notable works is At the Crease (1972), featuring an anonymous squatted hockey goalie, which gained large public awareness in Canada and is believed to have granted him a “national symbol.”
Danby’s work was widely recognized after that, leading to his membership in the Royal Canadian Academy and for receipt of numerous prestigious awards, including the Order of Canada (2001). His solo exhibitions were shown in many cities across Canada and the United States.
Danby’s life was cut short at the age of 67 by a heart attack while he was canoeing on North Tea Lake in Algonquin Park, Toronto, in 2007.