Arctic Drift by Rick Beaver

Rick Beaver was born in 1948 on the Alderville Indian Reserve near Rice Lake in Southern Ontario. He started painting full-time in 1981, and his degree in wildlife biology has had a major influence on his work.

His art invites an emotional response that connects to the origins of humanity. Beaver's artwork illustrates distinct textural contrasts between nature and art, that reflects his native heritage and his contemporary experiences. In contrast to the sculptural linearity of the creatures he has chosen to portray, the backgrounds are softly lilting and amorphous. The heart of Rick Beaver's paintings is this blending of biologically accurate elements with abstract backgrounds.

Rick Beaver's work is currently exhibited across Canada and in the United States. His work is in numerous corporate and public collections including the Canadian Museum of History, Ottawa, Crown Life Canadian Collection, Toronto, Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Ottawa, University of Western Ontario, London, Interprovincial Pipelines, Edmonton and others. The Public Service Commission of Canada published Rick's image "Twilight Dancers" as their 1987 calendar. As a biologist, Indigenous person and artist, Rick Beaver weaves together Traditional Ecological Knowledge and science for the benefit of the planet.