O-CANADA & me Mr. Dress-up Painting

Timothy Wilson Hoey is an artist, carpenter and proverbial hewer of wood. Primarily self-taught he approaches painting the same way he uses an axe, part brute force, part delicate balancing act. His O-Canada series began in 2006, celebrating all things Canuck and numbers well over a thousand works, drawing from Canadian history, pop culture, and the intimidating, but sublime geography of this country. It has become something of a visual cross-country road trip of imagery, with iconic staples such as Pierre Trudeau, Rocket Richard, Stompin' Tom Connors, Casey and Finnegan from TVs Mr. Dressup, and the ubiquitious Tim Horton's coffee cup. The sheer volume and variety of the nostalgic, and yes, weird collection caused Mike Doherty of the National Post to quip, "If Hoey were any more Canadian, he'd be a doughnut." Exhibitions of his work have included the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in his hometown, as well as galleries throughout British Columbia and Alberta.