“Really painting for me is my spiritual practice. I don't go to church. I don't do yoga. Don't even really meditate. For me, painting is meditation.”
David Drum
Born in Moncton, New Brunswick in 1944, David Drum was the only son of an RCAF pilot. After the war, the family moved to Toronto, where his father began a career in printing and lithography. In 1954, his father built him a studio and taught him how to use oil paints. By the age of 17, David won the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) mural competition, marking the beginning of his artistic career.
David Drum; Sunset, Ridgeway, Niagara
David had the ambition to be a professional painter while in high school. He worked part-time for several Toronto companies illustrating their catalogues. Under the guidance of his art teacher Alex Fraser at Gordon Graydon Secondary School, and inspired by summers spent landscape painting at his uncle's Gatineau cottage, David honed his artistic skills. A misplaced application in 1963 led to his unexpected enrollment in anatomy and human dissection courses at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, propelling him into a 12-year career as a medical illustrator. During this time, he also earned his doctorate in chiropractic (1967) and became a certified clinical specialist in 1975.
David Drum; Spring Meadow
David spent a decade in New York City maintaining a studio where he painted a series of abstract expressionist canvases and immersed himself in the Manhattan art milieu. His early efforts were supported by grants from the Canada Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Upon his return to Toronto in 1986, he established a studio and gallery in Cabbagetown and studied impressionistic techniques, greatly influenced by Claude Monet.
David Drum; Crystal Beach Sunset
David makes frequent trips to Normandy and continues to record the Quebec-Ontario landscape. His work includes large format landscapes and he has exhibited annually with the National Ballet at the O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts. He has provided paintings for many feature films, most recently for television series such as "The Firm" and "Builder Boss."
David Drum; First Snow
David is represented exclusively by Rookleys Canadian Art. His works are also in the permanent collections of the Niagara Parks Commission, Pillar and Post, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, St. Michael's College University of Toronto, and North York General Hospital, as well as many corporate and private collections.
David Drum; Sunset in the Gatineau
For the past few decades, David has been painting at his home-gallery-studio in Crystal Beach, which he shares with his artist wife, Barbara Vance. David Drum is listed in North American Art Sales Auction Indices and the Dictionary of Canadian Artists, continuing to contribute significantly to the Canadian and international art scenes.