Brilliant blues, flaming crimsons and ambers are ablaze in a kaleidoscope of colours and textures seen in the collages of Gallery T Francis, Tim Francis’ eponymously named art space.
From his early aspirations as a 10-year-old working with charcoal copying the work of Jon Gnagy from the show You Are An Artist, to enrolling at the University of Guelph in a fine arts program, Tim always knew art was in his hands.
But Tim took a circuitous route, waiting 35 years before realizing his dream. “I had responsibilities, family and a kid on the way,” Tim says. “I found a job and quit school.” With practicality pressing in, Tim found work as a night shift security guard for 25 years in the steel mills of Dofasco. Taking his sketch pad with him, Tim would hone his skills in the guard house during those dead hours. It was not until driving down James Street one post-retirement day with his wife that he entertained the possibility of a gallery. After all, it was on his bucket list.
Gallery T Francis opened soon after in 2012 showcasing not only Tim’s work of mixed media collages and semi-realistic street scenes, but also the work of Rauschenberg, Pearlstein, Wyeth, Bateman and others Tim appreciates.
