Local Painter In His Element On The Sidewalk

Posted April 26, 2010 10:57 am.

This article is more than 5 years old.

Artist John Coburn appears in his element on the busy sidewalk, sitting on a tiny stool in front of his canvas, clad in his white suit and orange trucker cap framed by yellow headphones pumping out disco to drown out the rumbling streetcars and other Queen West traffic.

The painter plans to set up his easel on sidewalks at 10 of his favourite spots around the city to capture the mood and architecture at places like Queen and Spadina, College and Clinton and Parliament and Winchester.

“Why I like to work on the street is … if you’re on location, it’s a great place to feel the pulse of the city, whether it’s a grandmother or an attractive woman or an old guy on a bicycle who stops to share some of the history or a memory of the apartment on the third floor they used to live in,” Coburn said at his first stop Friday at Queen and Palmerston.

“All of that energy somehow translates or somehow helps my love of the process of creating.”

The traffic noise can be distracting, hence the bright yellow headphones.

“As long as I’m wearing my headphones and listening to disco I’m okay,” he said. “Lots of Saturday Night Fever.”

Coburn, who studied at Georgian College and other spots around the world including New York, London and Mexico, said the Toronto street painting project came to him during a recent visit to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

“It just dawned on me. Here I am. I’m in this town, Toronto, but why can’t I stop and celebrate the architecture here?”

Coburn has been drawing and painting for three decades and most of his work is done on location. New York City inspired a large amount of his work — four books worth — as has the film industry.

“Because of my love of film and acting I often draw backstage at productions,” he said.

He’s sketched celebrities, including Lauren Bacall and Woody Allen, at the Toronto International Film Festival. He also hung around the set of Bruce McDonald’s eerie Pontypool to capture the creative process.

Review: Pontypool

Coburn has also spent time in front of the camera. He and his twin brother James worked as entertainment reporters for Citytv between 1985 and 1987.

Moses Znaimer spotted them at a poetry event at the Rivoli and expressed interest in having twins cover the city’s entertainment scene.

“Bob Hope wasn’t giving any interviews when he came to Toronto but we got a hold of his press agent and we said ‘well has Bob ever been interviewed by twins?’ He called us the bookends. Robin Williams called us the echo twins. We had a lot of fun at City,” Coburn said.

The results of Coburn’s street painting stint will be showcased at the Wychwood Barns in October. His work is also shown at Beckett Fine Art.

“It’s always fun being on location,” Coburn said. “People really appreciate and enjoy seeing something being created on the spot.”

Here’s a look at all the spots Coburn will be painting: