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     Doug Donley was a prolific artist producing a huge body of work – drawing, painting and sculpture. He is most known for his drawing with coloured pencils depicting mythical creatures, such as the Snake and Waterglass series in the TAG collection. He was also a writer of prose and poetry. Donley was born in Montreal in 1957, grew up in Richmond from age 10 and moved as an adult to Sudbury. It was here that his art career developed and matured. He has exhibited at 101 Gallery in Ottawa, Sault Ste Marie and the Yukon. His work is in the permanent collections of several institutions including TAG, the Art Gallery of Sault Ste Marie, Cambrian College, Art Gallery of Sudbury and Ontario Northland. Tragically in 2005, Doug Donley died in a fatal accident felling a tree. A retrospective of his work was held at the Kennedy Gallery in North Bay and the Art Gallery of Sudbury has produced a box set that celebrates his life and work.  

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     Donley himself described his fish drawings (see Resurrection in the TAG collection). "You see there is no easy answer for why fish, as there is no easy answer for why creativity has a place in our changing culture; there is no easy answer for why I use paper. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that few easy answers exist." - Doug Donley

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 6

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 6

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 5

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 5

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 4

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 4

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 1

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 1

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Bed)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Bed)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 2

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 2

Doug Donley, Resurection

Doug Donley, Resurection

Doug Donley, In the Beginning

Doug Donley, In the Beginning

Doug Donley, Fish saying no to a snake

Doug Donley, Fish saying no to a snake

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Bank)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Bank)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Ashtray)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Ashtray)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Stage)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Stage)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Apple)

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass (Apple)

Doug Donley, Sanke and Waterglass 8

Doug Donley, Sanke and Waterglass 8

Doug Donley, Fish and Waterglass

Doug Donley, Fish and Waterglass

Doug Donley, Witness to immaculate Conception

Doug Donley, Witness to immaculate Conception

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 14

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 14

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 12

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 12

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 11

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 11

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 9

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 9

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 7

Doug Donley, Snake and Waterglass 7

     Doug Donley était un artiste prolifique qui a produit grande quantité d’œuvres — en dessin, peinture et sculpture. Il est surtout reconnu pour ses dessins aux crayons à colorier de créatures mythologiques, telle que sa série Snake and Waterglass [Serpent et Verre à eau] qui figure dans la collection de la GAT. Il est également auteur d’œuvres en prose et en vers. Donley est né à Montréal en 1957, a grandi à Richmond à partir de ses dix ans et est déménagé à Sudbury arrivé à l’âge adulte. Il a exposé à la Galerie 101 d’Ottawa, à Sault-Sainte-Marie et au Yukon. Ses œuvres sont parmi les collections permanentes de nombreux établissements, dont la GAT, la Galerie d’Art de Sault-Sainte-Marie, le Collège Cambrian, la Galerie d’art de Sudbury et Ontario Northland. En 2005, Doug Donley est mort accidentellement en abattant un arbre. La Galerie Kennedy de North Bay a monté une rétrospective à sa mémoire et la Galerie d’art de Sudbury a produit un coffret en commémoration de sa vie et de son œuvre.

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     Donley lui-même décrivait ainsi ses dessins de poissons (voir Resurrection dans la collection de la Gat) : « Vois-tu, il n’y a de réponse toute prête à savoir pourquoi des poissons, pas plus qu’il n’y a de réponse toute prête à savoir pourquoi la créativité a un rôle à jouer dans une culture changeante; il n’y a pas de réponse toute prête non plus à savoir pourquoi j’utilise du papier. En fait, j’en suis arrivé à la conclusion qu’il existe peu de réponses toutes prêtes. »

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