Biography: Toby McWhirter
Toby McWhirter recounts, “Two of my earliest memories are art related. The first is a nightmare; the second a revelation.
My nightmare came in the form of endless intricate patterns and mazes of black lines that would scroll past my minds eye as I tried to sleep. It seemed there was nothing I could do to chase the images away. I believe that my love of large minimal compositions and expanses of rich color are a reaction to those childhood dreams.
My revelation took the form of a piece of scrap plywood I found as my father built an addition on to our home. I used this to make an “I love you” sign for my grandmother - complete with bubble letters and a scalloped border. I had never seen my grandmother so happy. Although I didn’t know it at the time, this was the beginning of my life as an artist - as someone with the ability to touch others with my creations.”
It was these two events and their effects on McWhirter that define the artist that he is today. His paintings are generally large or minimal and often both, with colors that are rich and saturated. The composition, whether floral, figurative, or abstract, must have an emotional quality that excites him. It is McWhirter’s hope that each painting has the ability to move the viewer through its imagery and color or its formal qualities.
Toby McWhirter was born and raised in the Tampa bay area and received a BFA in Painting from the University of South Florida. He now lives in Land-O-Lakes, FL with his beautiful wife Susan and two amazing daughters, Margo and Ellis.
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