Born on September 22, 1921 in Watford, England, Ray Mead was a member of Painters Eleven and Ontario Society of Artists. He is considered to be a formative influence within the development of modernism in Canadian art. He is certainly one of Canada's most celebrated 20th century painters. At an early age Mead was surrounded by art, as his Grandmother was a patron of the arts and a guide at the National Gallery in London. He achieved a degree in Fine Arts from the Slade School of Art in London, but shortly after joined the Royal Air Force. Once finished serving, he landed in Hamilton, ON and started his lengthy artistic career. The 60's proved Mead well, showing in Montreal, Hamilton and Toronto, garnering Canadian attention for his paintings. The Robert McLaughlin Gallery had a retrospective of Mead's work, and was celebrated for showing the emotional depth of Mead's style.