Canadian Visual Artist

1927–2023

Muskoka, Ontario, Canada

Pat Fairhead

M.A., M.ED., R.C.A., O.S.A., C.S.P.W.C.

One of Canada’s premier painters, Pat Fairhead, died peacefully at home on July 4, 2023, at age 96, surrounded by her loving family. She leaves an impressive legacy, both in paintings and in relationships, and will be mourned and missed by loved ones and friends around the world.

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Upcoming Exhibition

Pat Fairhead, A Retrospective

An exhibition featuring work from Pat’s 70-year career.

October 1 to 27, 2023 at Arts & Letters Club of Toronto
14 Elm Street, Toronto, Ontario

Public Opening Sunday, October 1 from 1–4pm
Opening remarks at 2pm
Club Night Monday, October 2, 6:30 pm

Show continues to October 27 with viewing by appointment.
Curated by Judith Fairhead

Paintings

A selection of paintings spanning Pat’s 70-year career as a professional artist, featuring images from locations around the world.

See Paintings

Bio

An overview of Pat’s career, including her background, education, inspiration, travels, awards and solo exhibitions.

See Bio

Bylot-Variations-40-30x22-Watercolour-1999-H

Exhibitions

Pat has exhibited nationally and internationally, with over 70 solo shows to her credit. Her work is represented in over 200 corporate collections.

New Work

Limberlost #6, 41 x 22 inches, Watercolour, 3 pieces layered, 2021

Limberlost #7, 40 x 22 inches, Watercolour, 3 pieces layered, 2022

Limberlost #8, 40 x 22 inches, Watercolour, 3 pieces layered, 2022

To view more of Pat’s work, please contact one of her galleries.

Pat Fairhead came to Canada from England when she was 10 years old. Two days after arriving in Toronto she went to Muskoka and fell in love with the Canadian landscape. This sparked a life-long love affair with the wilderness.

At age 15 she was accepted to the Ontario College of Art (now OCADU), but had to wait until she turned 16 before she could attend. She achieved an M.Ed from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and an M.A. from Goddard College, Vermont.

Inspiration for her work lured her to the Arctic nine times. She paddled up the west coast of British Columbia and a section of the Amazon River. She hiked the outback of Australia, explored South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, sailed down the Nile and toured around Europe, with many trips to England. She travelled Canada East to West and back.

During her career Pat had 70 solo shows nationally and internationally. Her work can be found in the Royal Collection of Prints and Drawings at Windsor Castle, England, and is represented in at least 200 corporate collections, government buildings and universities.

Pat’s first recognition came at age 16 with a proficiency prize from the Ontario College of Art. She was elected to the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour in 1966, and the Ontario Society of Artists in 1986. She became a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art in 1993, and was awarded the A.J. Casson Medal for Excellence in Watercolour in 2011.

Complete CV