BIOGRAPHY
MARTIN FOLEY, Haileybury Artist

Martin Foley was born and raised in Montreal. He studied at Loyola College, Ottawa University, and, received his arts specialist in Toronto. He began his teaching career in the Gaspe, Quebec, then moved to Northern Ontario where he has been teaching art since the early 70's.
His works have been exhibited in solo shows and numerous juried shows. He has been the recipient of many awards for both painting and drawing.
2019 Best in show, La Cloche juried art show
2019 Makers North Show & Sale, Cambrian College, Sudbury
2018 Solo art show at the Cobalt Classic Theatre
2018 Paint Ontario juried art show
- 2017 40th annual La Cloche juried art show
- 2016 39th annual La Cloche juried art show 2016 Timmins Museum and Exhibition Centre, solo show
- 2016 8th annual Englehart Juried art Show
- 2016 and 2017 Paint Ontario - Lampton County Juried art show
- 2015 7th Annual Englehart Juried art show, 1st place
- 2015 38th La Cloche Art show, award recipient
- 2015 "35" Temiskaming Art Gallery recipient of Award of Excellence
- 2014 Cobalt Classic Theatre Solo show
- 2014 FEATURED ARTIST AND JUROR for the 37th La Cloche Art Show.
- 2013 Ottawa Art Expo juried show and exhibition, Legacy award finalist.
- 2013 RBC Dominion Securities "Art Impact Juried Art Show", recipient of Vale's purchase award.
- 2012 Art in the Park -North Bay - juried show 1st place.
- 2011 La Cloche Art show - second place for acrylic.
- 2011 Co-Chairman of the Temiskaming Art Gallery board of directors.
- 2011 RBC Dominion Securities "Art Impact Juried Art Show".
- 2011, 2010,2009, accepted into the McMichael Autumn Art Show, Kleinburg, Ontario.
- 2010 56th annual NOAA, award recipient.
- 2010 Best original painting and poem, Painting/Poetry Festival, Cobalt, Ontario.
- 2010 Art Gallery of Sudbury - Willisville Mountain Project.
- 2008 31st La Cloche Art Show, best acrylic in show.
- Work accepted by the Ontario Society of Artists.
- 23rd NOAA exhibition, best painting, Inco award.
- Corporate purchases; City of Timmins, Vale, Sudbury, Ontario Northland Railway, Timmins National Museum, Fisher Wavy Pioneer
- Permanent collection of the Temiskaming Art Gallery
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work has been a reflection of the Northern Landscape, the shorelines of the lakes and rivers with attention focused on the geology of these landscapes. Mostly realist, my paintings can sometimes have a surreal quality especially when I extract some sections of a real landscape and make them appear monumental, giving them a mythic quality. These works incorporate dramatic bold lighting with highly textured effects reflecting the Northern geology. Waterways have always been a part of my life, from my childhood in the Laurentians to canoeing the lakes of Northern Ontario, my home, for the past 40 years.
My work has been a reflection of the Northern Landscape, the shorelines of the lakes and rivers with attention focused on the geology of these landscapes. Mostly realist, my paintings can sometimes have a surreal quality especially when I extract some sections of a real landscape and make them appear monumental, giving them a mythic quality. These works incorporate dramatic bold lighting with highly textured effects reflecting the Northern geology. Waterways have always been a part of my life, from my childhood in the Laurentians to canoeing the lakes of Northern Ontario, my home, for the past 40 years.