Biographies > Jack Burton

The oil painting, Northern Hilltop, Cart Lake shows the strong stark landscape that surrounds Cobalt, Jack Burton’s home for much of his adult life.  Burton was born in Haileybury where he received his education..  He served in the Second World War, partly with the Algonquin Regiment.  On returning he married Helen Turgeon of Haileybury and they soon moved to Cobalt. In Cobalt Burton was secretary-treasurer of the Royal Canadian Legion until his health forced him to retire. 

As a youth Jack did some painting, but when adult education programs became available he became more serious about his art. He attained a good grounding of the basic art principles by studying under George Cassidy for three years. Throughout his life Burton was taught by many esteemed professionals including Gus Weisman, Gordon Couling, William Lyttle, Carl Shaefer, Mary Schneider, Oscar Schleinger, John Smith, Alex Millar and John Hall. Burton also took portraiture and life drawing with George Forgie, courses in print making with Bob Paterson, and sculpture and ceramics with Bernardo Sembrano. He also gained experience in the arts of batik, photography and copper enameling.

Besides his art, Jack Burton was secretary-treasurer of the Royal Canadian Legion in Cobalt and he was an activist fighting to preserve old local buildings, especially mining structures.

1. For further details see D. Green, A Portrait. 50 years in the making, A History of the Northern Ontario Art Association, 2009