Official Gallery of Canadian Wildlife Artist Glen Loates R.C.A.

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Glen Loates painting the Wood thrush with bird skins from the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in 1979

One-of-a-kind works by Glen Loates. View the Originals

Glen Loates outside by mushrooms kneeling with sketchbook and smiling

GLEN LOATES BIOGRAPHY

DISCOVER

Glen Loates in the studio using animal skins as reference while painting owels

Glen Loates in the studio using animal skins as reference.

WORK METHODS
glen loates and president reagan

Glen Loates in the Oval Office presenting his Bald Eagle painting to Ronald Reagan.

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Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece: a close portrait of a common loon among reeds
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, detail of the painting
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, detail of the painting
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, detail of the painting
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, detail of the painting
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a black frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a white mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, framed piece in a white frame with a black mat
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, detail of the painting
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, the complete painting
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, close view of the frame moulding
Common Loon Portrait by Glen Loates, close view of the frame moulding

Common Loon Portrait

$123 - $465

Preview this work in a styled room, or on a photo of your own wall. Works on your phone, tablet or computer.

Complimentary shipping, carefully packed and delivered to your door.

Our promise to you: if a piece doesn't feel right in your home, let us know and we will make it right.

About the Work

A Common Loon rests on a still lake among reeds — its iridescent green head, bold white necklace, and intricately spotted back reflected in the barely-rippled water below. The reed reflections make vertical lines that organize the painting's quiet surface. This 1988 watercolour is one of Glen's most serene and technically accomplished bird portraits — the loon at rest, completely unhurried, the summer lake around it completely still.

The loon is Canada's most iconic bird, and Glen knew this subject deeply from decades of summers on Ontario lakes. The dotted plumage is rendered with the fine-brush patience that distinguishes his bird watercolours.

About the Artist
Glen Loates outside by mushrooms kneeling with sketchbook and smiling

Glen Loates R.C.A. has spent his life paying close attention to the natural world. Largely self-taught, he began his professional career at eleven, and in 1974 he was elected to full membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

He works from field study and museum study skins rather than photographs, making as many as forty-five pencil sketches of an animal before he paints it, and he begins every painting from the eye.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan accepted Glen's life-size Bald Eagle in the Oval Office, a gift Glen painted and conceived himself, making him the first Canadian artist represented at the White House.

Listen to Glen's biography · 9 min

The full written biography is on the Biography page.

Read the full biography →
Format & Materials

The format

  • A giclée of Glen's original, matted and framed by professional framers, so it arrives complete and ready for the wall.
  • Frame and mat choices are chosen to suit the work and a wide range of interiors.

Materials

  • Museum-quality giclée on heavyweight, acid-free paper.
  • Archival, fade-resistant pigment inks.
  • Quality frame moulding.
  • Protective acrylic in place of glass, lighter and safer in transit.
  • Backing, wire and hanging hardware installed by the framers.
Care
  • Hang out of direct, prolonged sunlight.
  • Avoid humidity and sharp temperature swings.
  • Dust the frame and acrylic with a soft, dry cloth; for more, use a microfibre cloth lightly dampened with an acrylic-safe cleaner, never sprayed directly.
  • Lift by the sides of the frame.
Delivery & Returns
  • Matted, framed and inspected to order, then on its way within 3 to 4 business days.
  • Packed with corner and surface protection.
  • As a larger parcel it can take longer to arrive than works on paper, depending on your location.
  • Complimentary shipping with tracking.
  • If your piece arrives damaged, email [email protected] with a photo and we'll send a complimentary replacement.
  • Not right for any reason? Contact us within 30 days of your order date.
Our returns promise →
  • Ready to HangArrives finished, with hanging hardware attached.
  • Complimentary ShippingCarefully packed and delivered to your door at no charge.
  • Our Promise to YouIf a piece doesn’t feel right in your home, let us know and we will make it right.
  • From the Loates FamilyThe official gallery of Glen Loates R.C.A., run by his family.

About the Artist

Glen Loates R.C.A. has spent his life paying a particular kind of attention to the natural world. He never attended art school.

His professional career began at eleven, when he designed the Canadian Cancer Society’s daffodil logo, used by the organization for several decades. In 1968 he won the Royal Philatelic Award for Canada’s first full-colour postage stamp, the Gray Jay. In 1974 he was elected to full membership in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, the first wildlife painter invited to join.

In December 1982, he presented his life-size watercolour of a Bald Eagle personally to President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, a gift from the people of Canada to the people of the United States. Reagan called it “a breathtaking representation of America’s symbol.” He is the first Canadian artist to be represented at the White House. His originals have also been presented to His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

His work has been exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum, the British Museum, the Alexander Koenig Museum in Bonn, and the McMichael Canadian Collection. Three major volumes document his career: The Art of Glen Loates (1977), Birds of North America (1979), and A Brush with Life (1984).

He is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and the Explorers Club.

Discover the full story
Glen Loates outside by mushrooms kneeling with sketchbook and smiling
Glen Loates in the studio using animal skins as reference while painting owels
glen loates and president reagan

Framed and Ready to Hang

Each giclée is printed on heavyweight, acid-free paper with archival pigment inks, then framed by professional framers. Protective acrylic takes the place of glass for safer travel, and the backing, wire and hanging hardware are installed before it reaches you.

Frame Options

Frame Options

Choose a black or white wood frame. Each piece is framed by an expert framer with an archival 2-inch mat, protected under acrylic rather than glass, and arrives ready to hang with the wire attached and nails included.

Choose a black or white wood frame. Each piece is framed by an expert framer with an archival 2-inch mat, protected under acrylic rather than glass, and arrives ready to hang with the wire attached and nails included.

Black frame
White frame
Couple hanging framed picture from The Glen Loates Store

Shared by our collectors

In Collectors' Homes

Glen's work has hung in homes for decades. Here are a few pieces where they live now, photographed by the collectors themselves.

  • Cottontail Run by Glen Loates above a collector's mantel

    “…brings to mind fond childhood memories walking with my father.”

    Linda F.

    Cottontail Run

  • Red Fox and Kits by Glen Loates, framed in a collector's home

    “We love the print very much. A few years ago, we had a beautiful fox arrive at our home.”

    Betsy B.

    Red Fox and Kits

  • Three framed works by Glen Loates in a family collection

    “I have so many fond memories of growing up with the wildlife prints that truly inspired imagination and made our house a home.”

    Michael G.

    A family collection, begun in the late 1970s

  • Stalking Lynx by Glen Loates in a rustic birch frame

    “I choose prints from here because of the incredible detail and he is a Canadian artist.”

    Barb R.

    Stalking Lynx

  • Loon canvas by Glen Loates hanging in a lakeside home

    “It's hanging beside a lake that has Loons. Nice setting.”

    Christopher W.

    Loon

  • Cottage Visitor canvas by Glen Loates on a cottage wall

    “This piece really brings out their personality and looks great at my cottage.”

    Anne G.

    Cottage Visitor

  • Young Cheetah with Fireflies canvas by Glen Loates above a side table

    “I love your father's work and will be back again for more.”

    Anne G.

    Young Cheetah with Fireflies

  • The Sentinel by Glen Loates, framed in a collector's room

    “Looks great in the room, and compliments the colours and theme I am going for.”

    Lynda H.

    The Sentinel