Celebration of Joy: An Exhibition Honouring Joy MacFadyen

Joy MacFadyen is a name exactly synonymous with development of The Arts in Scarborough. The Existential Art Gallery of Scarborough is most proud to bring this memorial celebration of Joy’s life and artwork to our virtual gallery, a place where Joy and her artwork can be celebrated in perpetuity.

The sincerity of presentation in the very many portraits Joy rendered give her a permanent and positive place in the history of Scarborough.

Joy was literally a very joyful person full of smiles and instant wit, bringing good humour and generosity to every social occasion. It is Joy’s total commitment to The Arts that has kept cultural matters moving ahead in Scarborough for the last five decades, supporting the arts councils, leading The Art Guild, winning awards, and talking positively to politicians.

And so it is that we bring you this fine exhibition of her paintings. We think Joy would have modestly cast herself as a ‘portrait artist’ but there is no doubt from the record that she was also involved in all kinds of decorative work and cultural presentations of amateur dancing and music, not to mention her constant interest in the welfare of animals and birds.

Joy was also and excellent storyteller and writer and we have included many of these writings to accompany, or comment upon, the pieces exhibited. As many would know, Joy was a Facebook user and we have gleaned much of what we have found from that source of her expression, and there are many friends who have also made their personal contributions.

One of Joy’s lasting wishes was that we would eventually have a substantial public gallery where artists like herself could exhibit their work and enjoy the work of the many other artists living and working in Scarborough.

We look forward to you enjoying this fine exhibition “Celebration of Joy”.

There are many photographs in this exhibition and it should be noted that close to all of them were recorded by Joy on her Facebook page. They were accompanied by equally interesting writings which we have used liberally in the comments of this exhibition.

Portraits

An undated self portrait of Joy with red hair (...) is characteristic of many of Joy's portraits... (more)

... it is fun to note Joy's good humour in having her age features unchanged ... (more)

While preparing for her newspaper interview, Joy posed on the front steps with a portrait of her mom and dad. (more)

Don proudly presented in his military togs, with his characteristic jaunty smile of congeniality. (more)

Don's father affectionately known in the family as "Pap-boy". His portrait places him at the island cottage on Eel's Lake; (more)

(...) painted "Just for the hell of it". An outstanding piece for only that reason to do it ... (more)

Ray, one of Joy's two nieces (more)

... (more)

Joy painted her husband Don a few times, (...) This one painted when he was 70; (more)

Eddy, Joy's brother, in one of their visits to the seaside; (more)

Genevieve, a big part of Joy's whole life, her stepdaughter (...) (more)

Eddie, Joy's brother (more)

Husband of Joy's friend Tina (more)

a fellow South African (more)

Husband of June, and a supportive bridge player, and, of course, a supporter of The Arts (more)

A determined supporter of Arts Scarborough during its festival set back...... (more)

The renowned artist Doris McCarthy (more)

stay in the family for centuries (more)

It's a watercolour, a medium used by Joy but she preferred oils. (more)

commissioned in 1998 for their Golden Anniversary (more)

Wexford School For The Arts days where students gained experience in many media (more)

Many Canadians can relate to leaving family behind in their mother country. (more)

can't remember (more)

Most kids have a cat or a dog (more)

Joy doesn't often include other objects in a portrait....... (more)

a circle of recognition? (more)

unexpected cheque (more)

a light on inside (more)

too lazy or too busy to save the details (more)

Often the greater significance of the painted portrait has very little to do with the artist (more)

Nikita a renowned Scarborough artist (more)

Not a portrait but..... (more)

Wayne Williams, Joy's 'tap' instructor for many years. Apparently a terrific fellow with a great sense of humour (more)

Jack the framer; an obviously relaxed and handsome fellow (more)

There seems to be nothing about this image (..) this person definitely did exist and at some point become some part of Joy's life. Maybe you know who it is (more)

a full scale nude is not an easy or simple task (more)

The portrait is an interesting departure from the complete image of the head being included in the composition (more)

This particular portrait had a note (...) "so please try to stay healthy!" (more)

The portraits were a wedding gift. (more)

painted for a neighbour in loving memory of a son (more)

three young fellows looking for some fun (more)

It is a bit strange to think here is this lovely portrait of this fellow and he doesn't know it exists. (more)

The tilt of the figure implies motion and this chap, Wayne, was Joy's dance instructor for tap, and great friend (more)

It is not a standard pose and perhaps it is that which gives the image a unique and unforgettable quality (more)

Joy's six foot Garden of Eden type figure includes trees and birds, and a good touch of her usual good humour (more)

in a way this is a portrait of a friend of Joy's (more)

People used to call her Betsy but I don't think that was her real name (more)

with all the formal trappings of a confident equestrian, and a family heirloom piece (more)

from the 'Scarborough Mirror' (more)

Joined together in a tryptich.... (more)

a clothed model covered..... (more)

Joy hoped that he had a great career .... (more)

the bride would be very,very old by now (more)

Chief of The Clan (more)

Sad year for a portrait painter.... (more)

You can see purpose in these young people , maybe obviously brother and sister, but Joy notes that these two characters are now way older than shown in this portrait painting (more)

The blurring and lack of detail gives the portrait the soft-blanket-like texture suitable for the subject (more)

Ruth, commissioned the first painting, (more)

There is a dream like quality to the eyes as they search for the heavens.... (more)

Joy couldn't remember why she painted this portrait except that she liked the outfit. (more)

For the record she painted three portraits of his family. (more)

I can't remember her mother's name but she showed me this photograph (more)

colour structure (more)

tongue in cheek good humour (more)

Joy said "My friend Joan Colbourne is blessed to have these little twins as grand children. (more)

responsible for many of the national parks in the U.S. (more)

Joy did a number of portrait pieces for the Monarchist League (more)

Not a portrait but..... (more)

Kaylyn, the youngest daughter in the Shelley family (more)

no direct record of the sitter or the dog (more)

The painting for the Lipton Soup Company, there were five, containing 17 portraits in total (more)

Another piece from the Lipton's Soup commission (more)

These folks look like your friendly aunt and uncle who would likely be familiar with Lipton's soups (more)

One of five portrait pieces commissioned by the Lipton Soup company to show people from across Canada in their advertising series (more)

Nice family but (...) Perhaps there is a bigger story to this than meets the eye (more)

Unlike the other more acidic and bored group in their Lipton's Soup portrait these folks are a more embraced arrangement (more)

Having painted this for the fun of it the purchaser found that it looked like her grandfather (more)

Lynn Atkinson, a good friend of Joy's having become the first executive director of Arts Scarborough as it got off the ground (more)

This portrait has an unusual devotion to variations of yellow ochre and of course that is what ties the whole thing together (more)

This fellow died prematurely and this commission was a memorial portrait (more)

Once again this is a memorial portrait painted for a friend who's mother passed away (more)

Member of the Monarchist League, (...) he looks like something out of Dickens (more)

The strong bond which is illustrated here between mother and child (...) the tender affection (more)

Mother and child was approached more than once, likely a bit of a caprice as a composition (more)

This painting was Joy's first entry into an Art Guild of Scarborough Exhibition (more)

Joy didn't define herself as a pastel artist but (...) experimented with all kinds of media (more)

Joy said "This little "pixie" boy was one of my favorite commissions to paint (more)

Painted for a family who's father had died it was commemorative (more)

Request (...) from an older gentleman who wanted his father's uniform put on a portrait of himself (more)

Joy left some loving comments about Ruth Haddock (more)

A favorite of Joy's out of all her portraits, one can see why (more)

Portrait was exhibited in an Art Guild Show (...) it was purchased right away by a lady who said it was the spitting image of a child she had adopted... (more)

Yes, they are twins. Can you tell the difference (more)

no record of a name or any further details (more)

This was a very shy little boy and I loved the squirrel on his sweater (more)

"Victorian Lady" was the title of the painting (...), but there is no name to the sitter (more)

Celebration of Joy: An Exhibition Honouring Joy MacFadyen

Portraits

Explore the exhibition