Michael O'Keefe

I took my first art lesson at the age of 12 at the Southampton School of Art under the direction of Edna Johnston. This sparked a passion which led me to study Fine Art at the University of Guelph where in a summer sessional, I met and befriended Canadian artist Ken Danby. It was this meeting which inspired me to turn away from abstract expression which was so in vogue at the time to realism. In addition to Danby, I was also enamoured with the work of American realist Andrew Wyeth.

Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, I exhibited extensively selling works throughout Canada, the United States and as far away as Australia to singer-songwriter, Roger Whittaker. My works have been in the collections of Canada Trust, RBC, Shell Oil and many professional firms throughout Canada.

In the late 1990’s, due to commitments to my family and my teaching career, I took a break from the demands of exhibiting and for a period of five years while my wife battled Ovarian Cancer, I stopped painting completely. After her passing, I renewed my passion for painting and begun exhibiting again. Now residing in the beautiful town of Southampton, Ontario and with a new person in his life, I am finding inspiration in the beautiful surrounding scenery.