Born Robin Ballard, in Newmarket ON, I studied visual arts at the University of Guelph, focusing on painting and photography. I lived briefly in Scotland, where I married, adopting the surname Burnett, before returning to settle in Newmarket. Return visits to Scotland’s rural countryside offer a continued source of inspiration. Recent works also include inspiration from Canada’s east coast, mixed with isolated Georgian Bay landscapes and rural Ontario. Each landscape holds subtle reminders of time’s impact on the land whether through nature’s elements, or the seasonal cycles; and many works explore man’s influence on the natural landscape. I work in oil glaze, building up thin layers of paint, and allowing the primer to shine through the paint, which give my paintings a luminous quality. I am an active member of the Newmarket Group of Artists and help organize the Newmarket Art Walk.
The permanence of the natural world in stark contrast to life's fleeting moments and seasonal changes.
Panoramic oil glaze landscapes that show the white glow of the canvas through the layers of colour and detailed miniature vistas.
Works are often intimate, miniature pieces displayed in shadowbox frames or as three dimensional woodblocks, which hang directly on the wall.
Hamilton Art Crawl
James Street North, Hamilton
April 11, 2025
NightMarket
Riverwalk Commons Newmarket
May 30, 2025
An active member of the Newmarket Group of Artists. Past shows include the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, ‘Second Nature’ at the McKay Art Centre, the McMichael Art Gallery Autumn Art Sale, the Newmarket Juried Art Show, Art in the Park Ottawa and the Newmarket Art Walk and Studio Tour.
Working with other artists to create a dynamic local art scene.
Newmarket ArtWalk Committee Chairperson
Children's Book Illustration