Glen Warner

Glen Warner's goal is to capture the charm and hidden beauty of Toronto’s older neighbourhoods.  He is especially drawn to the backstreets and laneways around Cabbagetown, Riverdale, Kensington Market, the Danforth, Parkdale, and the Summerhill area where he has lived for most of his adult life. 

“I love to paint rear views of houses that have somehow escaped the renovator’s hammer,” he says.  “Backyards are the most interesting subjects for me because that's where you see how people live, and it's where you find the old porches, broken fences, garages, sheds and lean-tos that give each house its unique character.”

Glen's paintings are found in corporate and private collections across Canada, the United States and Europe. Over the years he has participated in numerous solo and group shows, and his art has been reproduced on several corporate and charity greeting cards, including those published by the Toronto Transit Commission and the Hospital for Sick Children.

When asked why most of his paintings depict houses in winter, he says, “I like to create mood and atmosphere in my paintings, and snow scenes offer  the most dramatic contrasts. Summer and autumn scenes are a challenge for me because the foliage obstructs my view of the houses. 

"Simply put, you can't see the houses for the trees.”