Untitled (Dancer) by Toller Cranston

Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston, CM was a Canadian figure skater and painter. He is the 1971-1976 Canadian national champion, the 1974 World bronze medalist, and the 1976 Olympic bronze medalist.’

Cranston was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1949 and grew up in Kirkland Lake. When he was 11, his family moved to suburban Montreal.

After high school, Cranston attended the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. By his third year, he became restless with his studies. One of his teachers suggested that there was nothing more he could learn at the school, so Cranston set out at that point to establish himself as a professional artist.

After leaving the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Cranston became self-supporting as an artist, making enough money to cover his skating expenses. He held his first exhibition at his coach Ellen Burka's home in the spring of 1969. In November 1971, he had another successful one-man show in Toronto, the result of almost a year's work.

As of 1987 Toller resided in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He continued to paint, considering his art career as important as his skating career.

Toller Cranston passed away in January, 2015.