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A History of Peel County: To Mark Its Centennary*
It has been said of Stewart C. Shaw, of Streetsville, an artist who has lived in Peel County since 1951, that " . . . he did for Temagami what Homer Watson did for Doon, Tom Thomson for Algonquin Park, Manly Macdonald for Eastern Ontario . . . " The words were those of the late Augustus Bridle, former art critic of the Toronto Daily Star.
Yet another critic, this time from the Globe and Mail, wrote "The oil paintings of S. C. Shaw present a glowing, joyful zest for the out-of-doors; there is no lack of rich flow in the mood of his studies."
Mr. Shaw's work is colourful and strong, therefore it is a surprise to discover that he is a small and delicate man, who needs to propel himself about his studio in a wheelchair. He travels by car wherever he desires to paint, then, with the help of friends, manipulates his chair to where he can best see his chosen subject, and careful adjustment of his easel, can then become engrossed in his work.
Stewart studied at the Ontario College of Art, the Toronto Technical School and privately with Rotal Canadian Academy Instructors. He enjoys painting the drama of the scenery in the Tegamami region, and around Lake Superior and in the far west. His studies of Indian [Aboriginal] guides, hunters and horsemen, with their backgrounds of the scenery of the Cariboo, Jasper and the British Columbia coastline are all well known. He has exhibited in many one-man shows. Some of his work can be seen on permanent exhibition, in the Provincial Parliament Buildings in Queen's Park, Toronto.
NOTE: Any words in square brackets [like these] are editors notes, to update old information.
* This article was used with permission from "A History of Peel County: To Mark Its Centennary", published in 1967, by what is now the Region of Peel. The segment in the book entitled "Renowned for Artists and Art" was written by Paddy Thomas. Thanks to the Peel Archives at the Peel Heritage Complex for the reprinting permission. All information was factually correct as of publication 1967, but may be inaccurate presently.
Historical artists