Tree Patterns by Donald Mackay Houstoun

Born at Stevensville, Ontario, he studied at Western Technical School under L.A.C. Panton and followed as well, his own self teaching plan. He was an artist in Toronto since 1937 and later Art Director and partner in the firm of Art and Design Studios Ltd., Toronto, which employs about 50 artists. In his painting he held solo exhibitions at the Park Gallery, Toronto, the Roberts Gallery, Toronto, the Arts and Letters Club, Toronto, and a number of group shows. The Ontario landscape interested him much although he was equally interested in general subject matter. He worked in oils and watercolours and developed special technique with the use of palette knife. He received awards at the Ontario Society of Artists Annual Exhibition during 1966 and the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, 1966. He was a member of the Ontario Society of Artists (1946, former President.; also on exec.); Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (1958; former Pres.); and Royal Canadian Academy (A.R.C.A. 1960). He is represented in the following collections: National Gallery of Canada; The Art Gallery of Ontario; The Royal Bank of Canada and many others. He lived in Toronto.

Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume II”, compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1979