Timothy Hoey's kitschy paintings depict Canadian icons like Pierre Trudeau, moose

Victoria artist Timothy Hoey began his series of kitschy Canadiana paintings more than 10 years ago with a simple challenge from his wife on Boxing Day.

"My wife sent me downstairs...and just said, 'Paint something different, you're going stir crazy,'" Hoey told North by Northwest guest-host Grant Lawrence.

Hoey decided to paint a portrait of Pierre Trudeau, and as an added challenge, decided to limit his colour palette — he started with the primary colours, grabbed a green brush, and then suddenly realized he had the colours of the Hudson's Bay Company.

Happy accident

That happy accident led to a colour scheme that Hoey incorporates into almost all of his O Canada paintings, whether as a background to a portrait, or more subtly in some part of the painting.

"In all honesty it's one of the few things that actually ties the country," he said of the Hudson's Bay colours.

"Our flag is way too new. However, the Hudson's Bay blanket — regardless of whether you're separatist in Quebec, whether you're out here in the West — at some point someone has thrown one of those itchy, scratchy, nasty wool blankets on you at a cabin."

Queen in hockey jerseys

Hoey's paintings are of iconic people and symbols in Canadian culture, such as the Queen (in some portraits wearing various Canadian hockey teams' jerseys), Canadian musicians, moose, Tim Hortons' cups, and old-school skis.

Hoey will be displaying some of his works at a pop-up art show in Vancouver on Oct. 16 at the Beaumont Studios at 316 West 5th Avenue.

His show in Vancouver will feature his paintings that have a distinct West Coast theme, or are of people and places specific to Vancouver:

• a portrait of Nat Bailey.
• the signs for the Woodward's Building.
• the Smilin' Buddha Cabaret.
• former politicians like Bill Bennett and Bill Vander Zalm.

All of the O Canada paintings he has completed since starting the series in 2006 have been framed with pieces of hockey sticks.

When asked if his work could be defined as abstract, Hoey says his paintings simply represent the way he works. 

"I paint fast and I'm sloppy."

To hear the full interview with Tim Hoey, listen to the audio: Artist Tim Hoey's O Canada series celebrates Canadian culture through faces, food and kitsch.