Doris McCarthy

**Doris McCarthy**, CM OOnt RCA LL. D. (July 7, 1910 – November 25, 2010) was a prominent Canadian artist recognized for her abstract landscapes. Influenced greatly by the tradition of nature painting, McCarthy's work often depicted the wild beauty of her home country. McCarthy embarked on her artistic journey at the Ontario College of Art, where she studied from 1926 to 1930 and was the recipient of numerous accolades. Following her graduation, she took up teaching at Central Technical School in Toronto, serving for nearly four decades from 1933 to 1972. While maintaining her teaching profession, McCarthy also traveled extensively, capturing the diverse landscapes of countries such as Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, Japan, India, England, and Ireland in her artistic expressions. Her art took a distinctive turn towards Arctic landscapes, inspired by Lawren Harris' minimalist approach, after her initial visit to the Arctic in 1972. McCarthy's decades-spanning career generated an extensive collection of works, over 200 of which are housed at the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Apart from her artistic contributions, McCarthy also penned down her life's chronicles in three autobiographies, revealing her insightful wisdom and love for life.