Bau-Xi Galleries in Toronto is organizing a Regina 5 exhibition in memory of Ron Bloore, who passed away on September 4 of this year. They’ve also put some images of Bloore’s paintings up on their website. Bloore was an uncompromising painter with a surprisingly playful imagination, and a very personal vision. He has long been among my favourite painters, and among my favourite people too.

Bloore used to joke that “Canadians paint by numbers” referring to the so-called Regina Five, the Painters 11, and the Group of Seven. He would sometimes refer to all the post-Group of Seven landscape painting in Canada as “half past seven”.  Who could have guessed that the exhibition Bloore organized in 1961 in Regina of five local painters (including himself) would rocket them to national prominence.

I don’t know how many of my readers are familiar with the painterly ideas these guys were laying down in the early 60s, but if you have a chance to see it, I’m sure this memorial exhibition at Bau-Xi will provide a taste of some very fine painting.