Ian Varney

Ian Varney completed his Advanced Diploma of Fine Art in 2004 at LaTrobe Street College of Art and New Media in Melbourne, Australia. His work is deeply inspired by shorelines and bodies of water, from his lakefront home and studio on Soyers Lake in the Haliburton Highlands to the oceans and coastal landscapes he experienced while living in Australia, where he eventually became a citizen. Before shifting towards fine art, Ian was a practising physician in Toronto for 38 years.

Ian’s paintings frequently abstract these landscapes, exploring the forms, textures, and rhythms of shorelines through a variety of techniques and surfaces, including canvas, birch panels, and Claybord. Line is central to his practice—squiggles, straight marks, and dragged paint all come together to capture the energy and structure of the natural environments he loves.