Glen Scrimshaw releases first book - News Release Nov 20, 2006 - Click To view and download

An Article featuring Glen in the Handifarmer Magazine Winter 07 - Click To view and download entire magazine

Glen Scrimshaw
Maestro of Majestic Skies

Biography

The energy of a powerful thunderstorm, the majesty of the dancing aurora borealis, the vibrant colours of a northern sunset; Glen Scrimshaw's ability to capture these images on canvas has earned him the title 'Maestro of Majestic Skies.'

Glen, a Saskatchewan artist, has finally struck a balance between his love of nature and passion for art. His paintings of nature and wildlife scenes are collected by people the world over, yet it's only now, after years of hard work, that he feels he is able to really spend time in the places he brings to life on the canvas.

Glen is a self-taught artist whose bold use of colour and keen eye for detail has made his work distinctively unique. This style and broad subject matter has resulted in a following of collectors worldwide.

Born in Big River, Saskatchewan, Glen was instilled with a reverence for the serene beauty of the North at an early age. At 12, he first started oil painting and has continued in various mediums since then. In his early 20s, he moved even further north to Reindeer Lake and a place called Co-op Point, where he managed a Co-op store for several years. The store wasn't open that many hours during the day in the long winter months, so Glen painted more and more. At first he liked to do portraits, but then he was drawn to sunrises, sunsets and animals. In 1985, he displayed some of his paintings in the store, and people bought them faster than he could paint them. He sold his works for $100 each. Soon, he had commissioned orders from people who wanted him to paint specific themes.

He set up his first art gallery in La Ronge in 1987. Word spread as Glen started showing his work in Saskatchewan galleries and selling it to retail stores. During this period, he raised three daughters as a single dad and knows firsthand how to change a diaper with one hand and paint with the other.

Glen moved to Duck Lake in 1991 after being invited by the community to open a gallery. Spending 300 days per year painting in a house with inadequate light, he longed for an alternative work space. He knew that a painter needed north light, with no shadows or light changes in order to see the drawing board properly. So Glen recently bought a quarter-section near Duck Lake, where he has been building a house from a 1920s-era church. He calls this place his sanctuary, where he has nature right at his doorstep - a water view complete with nesting geese and a beaver.

Glen has given us so much more than just the visual enjoyment of all of his wonderful paintings, Glen has given hope and dreams to students in his speaking tours to schools. He has given his leadership in municipal government, and his resourcefulness and organizational skills as a volunteer on countless committees and groups. But one of Glen's greatest gifts, however, is his unyielding generosity. One of the most satisfying
realizations about the level of Glen's success has been the ability to help with many worthwhile causes.

Glen's philanthropic deeds range from supporting minor league sports teams to raising money and awareness for global concerns. Each year Glen donates in excess of $150,000 in artwork. In turn, the artwork generates over $1 million for the various charitable organizations he supports. Because of Glen's generous spirit, he has been honoured to receive business awards from both the Saskatoon and Saskatchewan chambers of
commerce for outstanding community service.

2006 marks the 20th year since Glen Scrimshaw took the bold step of leaving the comforts of a well-paying job in retail management to follow his dream of being an artist. Because of this bold step taken 20 years ago, we have all been blessed with the beauty of many wonderful masterpieces that Glen has created.